QUETTA: Civil society activists, independent experts and representatives of different communities from several districts of Balochistan have expressed concern over what they called the violation of resettlement policy by World Bank (WB) and the Balochistan Irrigation Department in the WB-funded Balochistan Integrated Water Resource Management and Development Project being implemented in Nari and Porali Rivers’ basins of the province.

They expressed their views at a workshop titled, ‘Peoples’ Consultative Workshop on Balochistan Integrated Water Resource Management and Development Programme’, organised by Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) here on Tuesday.

A large number of civil society activists, independent experts and people’s representatives from areas adjacent to Porali and Nari Rivers participated in the workshop.

Giving details of the project, PDI Executive Director Sikandar Brohi said that the World Bank approved the $253.72 million project in June, 2016, with Balochistan Irrigation Department as the executing agency of the scheme.

He said the World Bank would provide the loan of $243.62 million for the scheme.

Mr Brohi said the project had been initiated without proper consultations with people living in the villages to be affected by the project.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2018