27 January 2004	Tuesday	04 Zilhaj 1424

ISLAMABAD, Jan 26: The federal government has approved 27 projects worth Rs404 million to be completed before upcoming monsoon season as part of $100 million second flood protection programme funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Official sources told Dawn on Monday that the steering committee of the Federal Flood Commission which met on Saturday last approved 11 projects for Sindh worth Rs285 million, 10 projects for NWFP at a cost of Rs66 billion, five projects for Balochistan worth Rs5 million and a project in Punjab at a cost of Rs47.360.

These projects would be formally approved by the central development working party (CDWP) and Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) within the next 15 days.

The sources said all these projects have to be completed before the monsoon season starts in May/June 2004 so as to minimise the expected negative impact of the floods.

These sources said that more than 20 additional projects under the ADB-funded second flood protection programme have also been prepared but these would be implemented after the monsoon season.

The projects in Sindh include K.K Bund, Ranwanto Bund, Rs15.52 million Dilawaro Bund, Baiji Bund, re-sectioning of K.K. Bund, L.M. Bund, Qadirpur Loop Bund, Ghauspur Loop Bund, Khairwar Bund and stone pitching along the banks in various sections of the Indus river system.