MITHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed planning and development (P&D) chairman Hassan Naqvi to urgently work out a scheme proposed by some growers of Tharparkar to transform certain parts the desert region into farmland and bring about an agricultural revolution in the district.

He issued the directive during a meeting with local growers and traders to keep himself abreast of the issues being faced by the farming and trader communities of the district here on Sunday.

The growers informed the chief minister that they had discovered that the subsoil water in as many as 24 union councils of Tharparkar was sweet and could be used for cultivation of various vegetables and fruits. They said they had already performed experiments by growing onions, tomatoes and other vegetables as well as different fruits like orange and guava successfully in these UCs. “All that we need is submersible pumps and 1- to 2-inch-dia pipes to fetch water,” they said.

Committee set up to find ways to give a boost to farm and dairy produce

The CM took keen interest in the proposal and asked the P&D chairman to immediately start work on the idea and prepare a scheme under which 500 submersible pumps could be provided to growers of the specified areas.

The scheme must be prepared now so that it could be approved [by the cabinet] and launched at the earliest,” he said, and directed the agriculture department to ensure provision of the scheme to the P&D department.

Mr Shah acknowledged that Tharparkar had great potential of producing organic vegetables, fruits and milk. He pointed out that cow, camel and goat milk had a vast market in the world.

Besides, the chief minister constituted a committee headed by his Adviser on agriculture Manzoor Wassan to study ways and means to give a boost to agriculture in Tharparkar and make recommendations for promoting organic fruit, vegetable and milk production. Experts from the Sindh Agriculture University and local agriculturists would be members of the team, said the CM.

Development portfolio reviewed

Reviewing the development portfolio of Tharparkar in Darbar Hall of the Mithi DC Office, CM Shah directed officials of the energy and local government departments to make all faulty RO plants functional and address issues like payment of salaries and dues of operators and workers.

The meeting was attended by provincial ministers Syed Nasir Shah, Imtiaz Shaikh, Syed Sardar Shah, Zia Abbas Shah, senior member Board of Revenue Shams Soomro and secretaries of various departments, besides the P&D chairman.

PPP lawmakers from the area and CM’s aides were also present.

The CM said that the provincial government had launched 111 schemes costing over Rs5.65 billion against which 59pc funds had been released. About 69pc of the released funds had already been utilised, he added.

After building over two dozen small dams in the Parkar region to store rainwater, ponds would be built in the Chhachhro area, he pledged.

The lawmakers at the meeting identified certain roads which needed major repair. The CM directed the works department to undertake the works.

Mr Shah also reviewed a number of health, education, road and water schemes and issued directives for the completion of all ongoing schemes within the stipulated time.

The chief minister also received a delegation of lawyers who called for a survey of Tharparkar’s lands. Mr Shah said such a survey would be started soon and directed the BoR member to prepare a plan in this regard.

Taking notice of tree felling in the district, the CM directed the deputy commissioner to get the trend checked and take action against the offenders. The DC was told to ensure growing more trees, especially fruit trees to increase population of birds in the desert region, in order to create a healthy environment across the region.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2022