August 28, 2006	Monday	Sha'aban 3, 1427

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

DADU, Aug 27: Officials of the Gorag Hill Station Development Authority have said that the project will be completed by the end of 2007 as work on water supply, roads, bridges, causeways and police posts is in progress.

They said that the supply of electricity to the Gorag Hill Station from Wahi Pandhi feeder had been completed by Hesco.

Other features of the project are: master planning of the area, bus stops, parking lots, washing base, automobile maintenance, drainage system, 20 security posts, helipad, parking lots for tourists, cable car and chair lift at 10 view points, horse and camel riding tracks, water reservoirs, sanitation and sewerage system, filter plant, development of water falls, health care units, 10-bed hospital, construction of power sub station, landscaping, bus terminal and taxi stands and zoo.

Officials said that the work on the schemes would start on January 1, 2007, after the construction of main double track from Wahi Pandhi to Khawal Luk.

The work on the first hill station project in Sindh was started in August 1998 with approved cost of Rs999 million.

The project is being funded on the equal basis by provincial and federal governments.

About Rs200 million were allocated for the year 2006-07.

The construction of road from Wahi Pandhi to Gorag hills via Khawal Luk, water supply scheme from Hingan spring, building structures of six police posts for security purposes, camp office of police and shades, bridges and causeways were going on.

The director-general of the Gorag Hill Station Development Authority, Aijaz Ahmed Mangi, EDO (works and services), Mohammad Ali Memon and EDO (health) Dr Dhani Bux Thebo, executive engineer public health engineering, Syed Zahid Hussain Shah, officials of tourism and cultural department visited ongoing schemes of the hill station.

The project-director Gorag Hill Development Project, Mohammad Ali Memon told Dawn that the work on 54 kilometres single road from Wahi Pandhi to Gorag Hill via Khawal Luk was going at a cost of Rs143.893 million.

He said that 99 per cent work on the road was completed but now the design of the road was changed at a very difficult point of Khawal Luk mountain where a double road was being constructed which would be completed by December 31, 2006.

He said that after the construction of double road, two vehicles can cross from this difficult point. He said that work on causeways and bridges was going on and 99 per cent of work had been completed.

The executive engineer of the public health engineering department, Syed Zahid Hussain Shah, said that the Rs49.589 million were allocated for water supply scheme from Hingan to Gorag Hill and 98 per cent of work was completed.

He claimed that within two months this scheme would be completed.

He said that Khawal Luk was difficult point on the road towards top of the Gorag Hill and a wall was being constructed to cover 1,000-foot deep ditch to avoid any accident.

He said that the alignment of eight places of the road was changed for widening which was also another cause of delay in completion of work.

He said that the main cause of delay in the work was rainfall at the mountain area as contractors faced difficulties to continue the work, so the date of completion was fixed on December 31, 2006.

He said that foreign and multinational companies were asked to establish five-star hotels and huts at the top of Gorag Hill Station.

He said that the scheme of selling plots would start on the Gorag and he had asked the revenue department to change the record of the land in the name of Gorag Development Authority.

He said that President Parvez Musharraf and Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim were interested in developing this tourist spot so the work on different schemes was underway with full speed.

He said that a major amount was also allocated for purchase of vehicles and construction of building of tourism and culture department officials.

The Gorag Hill is located about 450 kilometres in the north of Karachi via Sehwan-Dadu, 94 kilometres west of Dadu through Johi road and 140 kilometres away from Sehwan.

The Gorag peak lies at the altitude of 5,688-foot above the sea level. In summer about 500 people live around Gorag, their main source is wheat cultivation on rainwater.

In winter, people migrate to Kachho due to severe cold.

The main source of water is Nai Gaj but there are also some sweet water springs at the Gorag Hill.

The Hingan spring with water flow of 300,000 to 325,000 gallons per day, Gaji Bhunjo with 35,000 to 40,000 and Nigra with 4,000 to 5,000 gallons per day.

According to the topographic data, 1,340 acres of land with average 5,000-foot altitude lies in Sindh and approximately 1,000 acres in Balochistan.

The peak ranges 6,000-foot in western hill of Khirthar range in Sindh, Mari Jo Thal and Dublai in Dadu district and Dhariaro, Dad, Dum and Kutte Ji Qabar in Qambar-Shahdadkot district.

According to the metrological department, temperature in June is 30 degrees Celsius and in January (-)5 to (-)20 degrees Celsius.