QUETTA, April 12: The provincial government is spending Rs7.965 billion on the Greater Quetta Water Supply Project which is aimed at overcoming the problem of water shortage in the provincial capital.

This was observed at a meeting presided over by the Chief Secretary, K.B. Rind, who directed the authorities concerned to accelerate the pace of work on the project.

The meeting was informed that until January, Rs1.847 billion had been spent on the project while the federal government had allocated Rs1.2 billion under its PSDP for the financial year 2006-07. Under the project, 748-km-long pipeline would be replaced in and around Quetta city.

“We are immediately replacing 160 kilometres of the pipeline,” the meeting was told. It was also informed that 54 out of 95 test tube-wells had yielded water while installation of the remaining tube-wells was under way.

The meeting was informed that 11 small dams would be built around Quetta to store rainwater, adding that new water sources were also being explored.

Mr Rind told another meeting that Rs400 million would be spent for setting up vocational centers aimed at producing trained and skilled manpower in the province.

“Every district will have a vocational training centre,” he said. He ordered the departments concerned to take suitable steps in this regard.