KARACHI, Oct 4: The Sindh government has prepared eight development projects costing a total of Rs3.3 billion to improve socio-economic conditions in the coastal areas of the province.

The projects would be presented to the Asian Development Bank through its mission led by Ms Tonnent Walten and Ms Vidhisha N. Samarasekara. Disclosing this, Secretary Planning, Sindh, Anzar Hussain Zaidi told Dawn that the projects pertained to water supply, communication, health, education, fisheries, poultry, livestock and agriculture.

The ADB team, on a fact-finding mission here, was briefed on development projects meant for the coastal belt of Sindh by Chief Secretary Muhammad Aslam Sanjrani. The mission, which included specialists in technical assistance, has already held talks with the officials of the Coastal Development Authority.

The CDA proposed that an integrated development programme covering diverse segments be launched in the coastal areas of Thatta and Badin districts, the most backward areas of the province. It was pointed out that the people of these areas were living with abject poverty and amid conditions which needed improvement for their socio-economic uplift.

It is learnt that the mission, in its report, agreed to focus on the problems of poverty and unemployment in the coastal areas. In this regard, a meeting has been scheduled for Oct 8 where impressions and views of the concerned departments would be ascertained by the mission before a comprehensive feasibility of these projects could be prepared.

Commenting on the parleys held so far, Mr Sanjrani appreciated the ADB's cooperation and assistance, and said that all possible efforts would be made to facilitate the technical survey to be conducted for assessing the requirements of the coastal belt.

The projects put forward to the ADB mission include oil-palm plantation over 4,000 acres with an estimated cost of Rs350 million and communication access to far flung coastal areas by upgrading the 120-km road from Gharo to Shah Bandar, via Keti Bandar, with link roads.

The other projects are: Construction of a cold storage for fish catch at Keti Bandar and Shah Bandar, costing Rs100 million; a network of roads connecting 17 major and some minor creeks, costing Rs500 million; electrification of 100 coastal villages in remote areas of Thatta and Badin districts through wind-solar hybrid system, costing Rs400 million; pen-culture demonstration in coastal creeks and back waters of Thatta and Badin districts to enhance fish production, costing Rs50 million; supply of drinking water to 40 coastal villages of Thatta and Badin districts, costing Rs200 million; and construction of Shah Bandar Jetty in Thatta district, costing Rs100 million.

Execution of these projects would not only help the local population to have access to basic civic amenities but also bring about a remarkable improvement in the standard of living and environment in the entire coastal belt of Sindh.

People living in the coastal areas are backward not only because of their dependence on natural resources for livelihood, but also due to the exposure to natural calamities like cyclone, rains, etc.

Successive governments' neglect has kept the people of the entire coastal belt much below poverty level. The development projects, prepared by the present government, have been designed to develop the coastal areas on the one hand, and improve their inhabitants' standard of living on the other.

Officials appeared confident that the ADB would approve the projects that would usher in a new era of prosperity for the downtrodden population of the area and ultimately contribute greatly to the overall progress and prosperity at national level.

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