683 water plants to be installed across Thar, says Bilawal

E-Paper | March 15, 2026

KARACHI: Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Peoples Party, has said the Sindh government is installing 683 solar-powered reverse osmosis plants in drought-hit areas of Thar and other arid regions to provide 10,000 gallons of safe drinking water daily.

“As the world observes the International Water Day today, we reiterate our commitment to ensure a well-irrigated and greener Sindh and Pakistan,” he said in a message released by the party on Sunday.

He said that PPP government in Sindh had taken revolutionary initiatives for the revitalisation of irrigation resources which included refurbishment of 3,420-mile long canals and dykes, construction and repair of 3,890 watercourses, installation of 1,762 tube wells, introduction of sprinkle and drip irrigation systems and rain guns and renovation and repair of Sukkur Barrage.

A total of 500 water treatment plants would be set up in addition to 20 plants in Keamari and Lyrari and the world’s biggest water filtration plant in Shaheed Benazirabad, he said.

He said that his party was taking steps to sensitise public to using every drop of water consciously and wisely to be able to fulfil needs of drinking water as well as the needs of agriculture and industrial sectors.

Tribute to Nusrat Bhutto

PPP patron-in-chief paid glowing tributes to Begum Nusrat Bhutto on the occasion of her 85th birthday anniversary on Sunday.

He said in a press release that her grandmother led a valiant struggle against a tyrant military dictator and braved state torture and jails in her struggle for the restoration of democracy in Pakistan.—PPI

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syed

Mar 24, 2014 07:49am

@Dane Long: this kid has missed the bus,he belongs with jagirdars and tyrants till he shows me otherwise.

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Mohammed A. Sukhera

Mar 24, 2014 09:12am

Well you are locking the barn after the horse has been stolen. You were born with a golden spoon, you never experienced hunger and thrust in your life, you don't know how it feels to be hungry for days. Its very easy to make announcements/slogans to the press but hard to implement the projects. Your grand projects require millinions of dollars which the Sindh governmetn can't afford or does not have. So these slogans will remain slogans and things will stay the same as before. It will go the same way as slogan of roti, Kapra and makan for everyone 40 years ago.I am sure Mr Zardari is not going to part with his ill gotten money.

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M. Ahmed

Mar 24, 2014 09:14am

Nice twitt, please keep on twitting...

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Najam Khan

Mar 24, 2014 09:45am

Almost 70% of these projects announced are political campaign for point scoring they know their popularity is badly declining in the last election they are restricted only in the interior Sindh but still these corrupt so called feudal are not leaving any chance of looting tax money of hard working population of Karachities. In reality even if there is a 30% truth in this announcement then Baby People Party will be taking revolutionary initiatives to find way to cash these projects in their personal bank accounts. This is the real motive of Sindh Govt. milk as much as they could before their final tenure ends. Shame on Baby Zardari and his family for calling their selves Sindhi. The real Bhutto is still alive in the heart of people and you share nothing from him except his remaining wealth and fame.

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kashif

Mar 24, 2014 09:50am

Lets see.....

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Khanm

Mar 24, 2014 10:09am

@Dane Long: it is only a peg for publicity....no matter how many tube well you install will not bring those lives back... prevention is better than cure. where were they when things were not going right in THAR.... Spending billions on cultural shows....The irony is people in Pakistan respect those who have no credibility, values or morals....

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solar

Mar 24, 2014 10:32am

i hope they wont be ghost water plants ?

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Mar 24, 2014 10:38am

In reality PPP has destroyed the irrigation network. If only Bill could visit and see that all the refurbishment of canals was only done on paper, the irrigation system is in absolute shambles and its all in plain sight for anyone to see. In addition new water outlets which are totally against the rules of the irrigation act were granted not only for Daddy's massive land holdings but also for Auntie Faryal and other friends and family. Bill is either totally clue or he likes to play dumb because that is the only way to justify the sheer plunder which continues under his party's rule in Sindh.

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too too

Mar 24, 2014 11:24am

Too little and too late.

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Irfan

Mar 24, 2014 11:30am

This is their province, and they have done nothing in past years and when they are in Govt. Sind is a small province they could have make it like Singapore. We should not believe them for any good for the Sind.

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Mar 24, 2014 11:37am

Cool!

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Masoud

Mar 24, 2014 11:47am

On media only, before you many political power hungry & vote beggars claimed the same for Thar & other areas of Pakistan but the result seems zero. Those enjoying two shower bath a day cannot understand the thirst for a drop of water. You may escape here but Lord of the day of judgement will not leave you all.

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syed wasim haider

Mar 24, 2014 11:54am

This is a really good news but there should be a time frame; secondly who will do this, transparency must be maintained, thirdly security of these plants.Mr. Bilawal should take this project and if he succeeds then it will be an election plus point.

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Ayaz

Mar 24, 2014 12:13pm

Why not 700?

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Ghalib

Mar 24, 2014 01:28pm

Too little too late.

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Khalid

Mar 24, 2014 02:54pm

@Ayaz: Or 7000 or 700,000 these are just numbers and words. Do you really believe anyone believes you?. If you said 25, we still might believe but sadly, no one is listening.

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Parvez

Mar 24, 2014 03:42pm

water plants are good............as long as there is water. In Musharraf's time this came up and lots of money went down the drain........it would make sense to tread carefully otherwise Bilawal will get egg on his face and certain bureaucrats will become even richer..

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TANVIR

Mar 24, 2014 09:15pm

@syed : Your are so right, PPP has uninterrupted governments in Sind Province since last 42 years or since year 1971. When Nana Jan and Amman Jan utterly failed or fooled people to provide Roti Kapra aur Makan, this tinty tott must be fooling around as usual.

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Adnan

Mar 24, 2014 09:22pm

@Ayaz: Why not 683??

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Mohammed A. Sukhera

Mar 24, 2014 10:16pm

@Najam Khan: If you are referring to MR. Z.A Bhutto, i was the staunch supporter of PPP during my college days. After completing my ducation, I became disenchanted with his econmic and foreign policies. FYI he is the one who asked for and received kickbacks and commissions on purchases of military equipment from foreign countries. He received commission from a French manufacturer of Mirage fighter planes for the Pakistan air force. Pl. refer to the Pakistani ambassador

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Mar 25, 2014 12:31am

First of all the announcement is fake ... he is a bilinear they are born for dancing and celebrating birthday and anniversary of the grand father mother and grand mother and other are related to Bhoto family. the have no time to spend with the people of Thar Mithi Chacro... And Dawn New not providing coverage of the NGOs those are working in draught-hit areas and not covering the famine current situation... Dawn news just published the Bhoto family statements on their new paper and website.. Dawn news has shoot the famine but the agency has not published the circumstances of the Thar people...... very bad

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Syed

Mar 25, 2014 04:07pm

Will some body give Bilawal details of out of order, non functional and almost abandoned filtration water plants in Karachi, Hyderabad,Sukkur and other towns and villages. No use adding new plants and waist money until we learn to maintain them.

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Tanvir

Mar 25, 2014 06:00pm

Bilawal is looking for cheap publicity and making foolish political statemetns. Musharraf did great job by intorducing hawkish TV channels that can analyze greedy behavior of PPP that has continuous governments in last 42 years and failed all this time. Rural Sindhies or urban Sindhies are in-secure and are bound to vote for PPP while PPP governments are slowly digging their grave by not performing and through massive corruption. We have not forgotten ex-defense minister in in Zardari's govt who throught corruption is his brith right, he stated this in TV talk show without any hesitation

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kamaluddin

Mar 25, 2014 08:05pm

Thank you Bilawal Zardari, if you are paying for it from your own personal funds.

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