KARACHI: President Asif Ali Zardari has called for a comprehensive 20-year master plan aimed at restoring, remodeling and enhancing the capacity of the drainage system for coping with floods and stagnant water and utilising abandoned natural drains like the Naro and Hakro Dhoros.
During briefings held at Bilawal House on Monday on drainage of floodwater from various areas of Sindh and distribution of Pakistan Cards, he advised the Provincial Disaster Management Agency and district officials to facilitate banks in distribution of the cards.Talking to reporters, presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said rainwater had been drained out of about 97 per cent of the affected area, but there were pockets of stagnant water in Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Badin and Umerkot.
In compliance with the president's earlier directives, the irrigation department prepared a master plan and a foreign consultant, Louis Berger, would submit a report in this regard next month.
The president issued directives for rationalising the irrigation revamping plan and generating revenue for its implementation by strengthening tax collection.
He deputed provincial minister Nadir Magsi to visit the affected areas and present a report to him in two days.
The president said he would also visit the affected areas.
Expressing satisfaction over the wheat stock in the country despite heavy rains, he called for exploring market in the region for exporting the commodity.
The chairman of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) said Pakistan Cards had been provided to 1.1 million of about 1.3 million flood-stricken people as identified by the district administrations and the provincial disaster management agency.
He said Nadra had opened 91 of the planned 96 outlets for distributing the cards. The outlets at 53 places had been closed after completing the work, while 38 were functioning, he added. An amount of Rs9 billion has been distributed through these cards.
The Nadra chairman said the second phase of construction of houses under the Watan cards programme for people affected by the floods in 2010 would begin in April with Rs14 billion worth of donations under an agreement with the World Bank. About 350,000 houses will be rebuilt in Sindh.The president asked Nadra and other authorities concerned to complete the distribution of Pakistan Cards in all the 16 affected districts in Sindh at the earliest and facilitate banks to start their service in areas so far unattended. He also advised the government to release funds to ensure unhindered provision of relief to the affected people.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari and provincial ministers attended the briefings.
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