Kachhi Canal and N-70 Highway Projects to Boost Pakistan's Balochistan
East-West infrastructure projects in Pakistan pose unique challenges. Sending hundreds of cusecs of water up more than a mile from the River Indus to Balochistan via Kachhi canal is one of these challenges. Another challenge is to improve and expand national east-west highways like N-70. These recently completed infrastructure projects linking South Punjab with Balochistan will boost agriculture and transportation sectors and bring economic benefits to Pakistanis living in the country's least developed areas.
Kachhi Canal Project:
Recently completed 400 kilometers in phase 1 of 500 kilometer long Kachhi Canal is now the longest irrigation canal in Pakistan. It stretches from the plains of South Punjab to the heights of eastern Balochistan where it will eventually irrigate over 700,000 acres of arid land, according to WAPDA (Water and Power Development Authority).
Part of Kachhi canal is made up of 56 inch diameter pipeline that will pump 120 cusecs (cubic feet per sec) of Indus water 7,000 feet above sea level across Sulaiman mountain range. This feat of engineering made possible by NESPAK (National Engineering Services of Pakistan), a consulting firm that I worked for 3 years in mid-1970s.
National Highway N-70:
National highway N-70 runs from Multan in Punjab to the town of Qilla Saifullah via Dera Ghazi Khan, and Loralai in Balochistan province. It requires traversing 11,500 feet high Sulaiman mountains, the southern extension of Hindu Kush mountain range. It has recently been completed.
The condition of old British colonial era N-70 national highway was very poor. In particular, the hilly sections of the road suffered from frequent rock falls and debris and occasional land slides from the steep mountain side. It had narrow road width, coupled with hair-pin bends and relatively steep slope. Trucks pulling containers were forced to take alternative route via N-65 highway to Quetta. The solution was to use seven steel bridges that were 11.5 kilometers in length. The project was completed at a cost of $142 million with the assistance of JICA, Japan's international aid agency.
Summary:
Recently completed infrastructure projects linking South Punjab with Balochistan will boost agriculture and transportation sectors and the economy in Pakistan's least developed areas. Kachhi canal will irrigate hundreds of thousands of acres of arid land while improvement and widening of N-70 east-west national highway will help movement of goods and people to integrate remote areas with the national economy.
Riaz Haq's Youtube Channel
Kachhi Canal Project:
Recently completed 400 kilometers in phase 1 of 500 kilometer long Kachhi Canal is now the longest irrigation canal in Pakistan. It stretches from the plains of South Punjab to the heights of eastern Balochistan where it will eventually irrigate over 700,000 acres of arid land, according to WAPDA (Water and Power Development Authority).
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| Kachhi Canal Pakistan |
Part of Kachhi canal is made up of 56 inch diameter pipeline that will pump 120 cusecs (cubic feet per sec) of Indus water 7,000 feet above sea level across Sulaiman mountain range. This feat of engineering made possible by NESPAK (National Engineering Services of Pakistan), a consulting firm that I worked for 3 years in mid-1970s.
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| Kachhi Canal Project Phases |
National Highway N-70:
National highway N-70 runs from Multan in Punjab to the town of Qilla Saifullah via Dera Ghazi Khan, and Loralai in Balochistan province. It requires traversing 11,500 feet high Sulaiman mountains, the southern extension of Hindu Kush mountain range. It has recently been completed.
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| N-70 Highway Pakistan |
The condition of old British colonial era N-70 national highway was very poor. In particular, the hilly sections of the road suffered from frequent rock falls and debris and occasional land slides from the steep mountain side. It had narrow road width, coupled with hair-pin bends and relatively steep slope. Trucks pulling containers were forced to take alternative route via N-65 highway to Quetta. The solution was to use seven steel bridges that were 11.5 kilometers in length. The project was completed at a cost of $142 million with the assistance of JICA, Japan's international aid agency.
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| Steel Bridges At Fort Monroe on N70 Highway |
Summary:
Recently completed infrastructure projects linking South Punjab with Balochistan will boost agriculture and transportation sectors and the economy in Pakistan's least developed areas. Kachhi canal will irrigate hundreds of thousands of acres of arid land while improvement and widening of N-70 east-west national highway will help movement of goods and people to integrate remote areas with the national economy.
Related Links:
Riaz Haq's Youtube Channel
Comments
is located in Punjab, Pakistan. It is a 363 km long canal, out of which 281 km is in Punjab and 80 km is in Balochistan. It starts from Taunsa Barrage at Indus River. The canal provides sustainable irrigation water supply to 72,000 acres of agricultural land thus bringing green revolution in Balochistan. Cost of the project, after its revision is now Rs.80.5 billion. The water infrastructure and irrigated agriculture in Balochistan will achieve a landmark, when Kachhi Canal Project will be completed. The project which started in 2002, was almost abandoned due to grossly cost and time overrun for various reasons. With the Federal Government's support and excellent work by WAPDA engineers, the project was re-energised and is likely to complete soon (Phase-I of the project has been completed substantially in September 2017, remaining work is under progress).
Well done pervez musharraf for the vision of a prosperous pakistan. This is just one project. His services for baluchistan are unprecedented. Mirani dam, subakzai dam, makran coastal highway, lasbella uni of marine sciences, sardar bahadur uni quetta, 9 cadet colleges, gawadar ratodero motorway, gawadar port and much more.
Pakistan and China have further strengthened their friendly relationship during the global crisis.
Earlier, Islamabad extended assistance to Beijing in the fight against coronavirus late last year and now the latter is helping the former in the war against locust swarm attacks on the standing wheat crop.
“Pakistan provided assistance to China after the Covid-19 outbreak (in Wuhan late in December 2019)…China and its people hold to return to Pakistani brothers,” said Chinese Embassy representative in Pakistan Gu Wenliang on Wednesday.
He was speaking at the China-Pakistan Trade Hotline Cloud Salon on the theme of “Joint Efforts for Locust Control”, organised online by the China Economic Net – the only financial media among China’s key news websites.
The Express Tribune also provided strong support for the salon information and introduction in Pakistan.
“Pakistan is experiencing the worst locust plague, which has damaged major crops, including cotton, wheat and corn (worth over Rs200 billion),” Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar said in the webinar.
However, the federal and provincial governments are now well equipped to win the war against the second wave of insect attack in the country.
“We could not have done it without your (China and its people) support. China has provided timely support to fight the plague,” he said.
Climate change may have played the role in nourishing the insects. “Prime Minister Imran Khan has declared (locust) emergency in the country,” he added. The webinar was organised ahead of the 69th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan on May 21 this year.
Meanwhile, Pakistan is suffering from its worst desert locust infestation in 27 years.
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, President Arif Alvi and Chinese President Xi Jinping witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on strengthening plant disease and insect pest control in Beijing.
China has donated 300 tons of locust control pesticides and 350 vehicle-mounted sprayers in three batches since March. Besides, a team of Chinese experts in locust control also visited Pakistan in recent weeks.
Pakistan’s minister for national food security and research also expressed hope for cooperation between the two countries in the fields of monitoring and warning, as well as youth training, and called on Chinese chemical enterprises to invest in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Embassy Commercial Counsellor in Beijing Badaruz Zaman said China had provided huge assistance to Pakistan to help it fight the plague.
Besides, the Department for International Development (DFID) of the UK has provided £6 million and the United Nations’ (UN) Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has given $1 million to Pakistan for combating the locust attack on standing crops.
“Some 5,000 personnel are involved in anti-locust operation in Pakistan. We look forward to awareness, technical assistance and training of locals from China,” he said.
The FAO has warned Pakistan about locust invasion in the country. “In Pakistan, 38% of the area (60% in Balochistan, 25% in Sindh and 15% in Punjab) are breeding grounds for the desert locust, whereas the entire country is under the threat of invasion if the desert locust is not contained in the breeding regions,” it said in a report the other day.
https://www.urdupoint.com/en/pakistan/construction-work-of-shinzani-dam-gwadar-in-f-1066635.html
The construction work of Shinzani Dam for provision of drinking water facilities to citizen in Gwadar district was in full swing.
According to official sources, the project worth Rs 500 million will be completed in a transparent manner during the financial year.
Work has been started on the project by the construction firm after completing the tender process, it added.
Under the vision of Chief Minister Balochistan Jam Kamal Khan, the completion of ongoing development projects of Gwadar and provision of the clean drinking water to the masses on permanent basis was priority of the government.
According to a notification issued by the office of Deputy Commissioner Gwadar, a committee has been set up to compensate the victims of Shinzani Dam.
District Forest Officer Gwadar, Deputy Director Agriculture Gwadar, and a representative of the victims of the Shinzani Dam site have been included in the committee members list.
The committee will soon formulate a mechanism for compensation of the victims after conducting a survey.
The residents of Gwadar thanked Chief Minister Balochistan Jam Kamal for approving important projects for the development of the city.
They said that current government has initiated record construction and development work in Gwadar district.
The new era has begun with the construction of dams in the rain-fed areas of Gwadar district to solve the problem of drinking water and urged to take timely steps to compensate the victims (displaced)
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The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone of Shinzani Dam which cost is estimated Rs 50 crore and it would be completed in two years.
About sixteen thousand acre feet of water can be stored in this dam and over five thousand acre feet of water will be used for agriculture.
https://www.app.com.pk/national/cm-balochistan-inaugurates-water-supply-pipeline-project-in-gwadar/
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The Hingol River is 350 miles (560 km) long, the longest in Balochistan. It winds through the Makran Coastal Range and Hungol Valley between high cliffs. The river flows all year long, unlike most other streams in Balochistan which only flow during rare rains.
Under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP), twenty-four dams worth billions of rupees are under construction in Balochistan.
This was stated by the project director of 100 dams Muhammad Ibrahim Mengal in an exclusive interview with Radio Pakistan.
He said no compromise will be made on the quality of construction, which are likely to be completed by December this year.
He said the water reservoirs are being built in Awaran, Washuk, Kharan, Zhob, Musakhel, Loralai etc. The project director also said that measures are being taken to accomplish the dam project in order to improve ground water level for reducing the water problems that stretch throughout the province.
Chinese company built over 13 small, mini and micro hydropower plants in Pakistan
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2273568/hydropower-plants-benefit-rural-areas-of-pakistan
Chinese company Chongqing Savvy built more than 13 small, mini and micro hydropower plants in Pakistan as of 2019. Out of this, seven have finished installation and trial run and started generating power in Gilgit. The remaining eight plants are being installed in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).
These small, mini and micro hydropower plants have delivered tangible benefits for the well-being of local people in areas which earlier lacked access to electricity.
Chongqing Savvy Industries CEO George Zhou highlighted that power plants such as these could help electrify rural areas which would lay solid foundation for further modernisation and intelligent development given the renewability of hydropower against coal and gas based energy.
“We built a 1000 kW hydro-power station in Gilgit, which is used to supply electricity to the customs department,” he said. “Once the power is generated, the customs office can operate normally and out plant helps in clearance of items.”
Recalling suitable prerequisites for establishment of small, mini and micro hydropower plants in Pakistan, Zhou said they included abundant water resources, massive demand for electricity and the country’s potential for development.
Talking about the reasons behind his company’s investment in Pakistan, he attributed it to the close relationship between the two countries as well as the supporting facilities and potential market of his company’s products in Pakistan. Zhou added that as a large developing country with a population of over 200 million people, Pakistan still faced a vast gap in supply of power to pave way for industrialisation.
“Being an iron-brother, China is willing to offer technical support in this area,” he said. Besides, CPEC has created opportunities and privileges for small and medium enterprises like the company Zhou works for.
It is hoped that new energy, which is indeed a major trend in the world, could also help Pakistan realise massive development in the years to come.
http://en.ce.cn/Insight/202201/04/t20220104_37226065.shtml
ISLAMABAD, Jan. 4 (Gwadar Pro) - Federal Minister for Communication and Postal Services Murad Saeed on Monday announced that the construction on Hakla-Dera Ismail Khan Motorway (M-14), a mega project under Western alignment of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), has been “completed with an amount of Rs. 81 billion”.
“Work on Hakla-D.I. Khan Motorway Khan [is] completed; the present Government has invested Rs. 81 billion in this motorway from the national exchequer,” Murad Saeed said in Twitter, adding the construction on the motorway began in 2019.
Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to formally inaugurate M-14 Motorway for public. “The Motorway is ready for operation and will be inaugurated at any time depending on the Prime Minister’s schedule,” an NHA official told Gwadar Pro, on the condition of anonymity.
M-14 Motorway is a 293 km long mega project under the Western Alignment of CPEC, connecting the southern parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) with the rest of the country that will lead to social and economic prosperity in the area.
The motorway passed through Attock, Mianwali districts of Punjab and reaches KP. The last Interchange of the motorway is Yarik in D.I. Khan while Abdul Khel Interchange opens to Lakki Marwat district of KP. M-14 will mainstream the district of D.I. Khan, Tank, Lakki Marwat, Karak, Bannu and other adjoining areas with the federal capital Islamabad and the rest of the country. In the next phase, M-14 will be connected to Zhob-Quetta (N-50) to establish a link among the upper parts of Punjab, southern KP and Balochistan.
M-14 Motorway will transform the lives of the present and future generations of the entire area economically, financially, socially and educationally.
https://dailythepatriot.com/naulong-dam-to-irrigate-47000-acres-near-jhal-magsi/
ISLAMABAD: The Naulong Dam Project will irrigate 47,000 acres of land near Jhal Magsi,Balochistan. The dam located on Mula River at Sunt near Gandawa City in Tehsil and District Jhal Magsi will help reduce poverty, socio-economic uplift, and women’s emancipation.
The dam would generate 4.4 MW of cheap hydropower energy, said an official of the Ministry of Water Resources. The dam is 186 feet high and has a total storage capacity of 242,452 AFd. Live storage is 200,000 AF.
The annual benefits to agriculture will be Rs. 2.017 billion, power Rs. 0.413 Billion, fisheries Rs. 0.018 billion. The dam will create 23,500 agricultural jobs. It would help protect the catchment areas from the deluge.
https://dailytimes.com.pk/874972/dualization-work-of-karachi-quetta-chaman-to-start-from-feb/
Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed on Tuesday informed the Senate that dualization work of 796 kilometers long Karachi to Quetta and Chaman road would be started next month.
Responding to a calling attention notice regarding an alarming number of traffic accidents on RCD Highway, N-25, which runs from Karachi to Quetta and Chaman, he said, “Contract has been awarded for the construction of the first section of 330 kilometers of the highway and Prime Minister Imran Khan will perform groundbreaking of the project next month”.
About the remaining two sections, the minister said that one is at feasibility, while the other is at the designing stage. He said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has completed work on 2,032 kilometers of road projects and also started work on an additional 7879 km of roads network. He said that the road projects started in Balochistan were including Zhob Kuchlak, Nokandi Mashkeel, Khuzdar Bisimah, Ziarat Morr Kuch Harnai, Hoshab Awaran, Dera Murad Jamali Bypass, Quetta Bypass, and Kuchlak Khuzdar.
ANDREW DABALENSHOMIK MEHNDIRATTA|JANUARY 24, 2022
https://blogs.worldbank.org/transport/knowledge-action-new-way-maximize-impact-rural-roads
Accessibility describes how easy (or difficult) it is for people to reach services and opportunities. When you look at the data, significant accessibility gaps persist around the world. Globally 51% of individuals living in low-income countries reside within an hour of a city compared to 91% of individuals in high-income countries. This limited access to urban centers hinders rural populations from accessing services and opportunities, including healthcare, education, jobs, and markets. Gender plays an important role as well: as these findings from Pakistan illustrate, women typically must cover greater distances to reach basic services. Even for people living in cities, accessibility may vary depending on the availability of public transport, the impact of traffic congestion.
Lack of access is systematically linked to inferior development outcomes, even more so if motorized transport is not available. The inability to travel to healthcare facilities, for instance, has been associated with increased mortality and morbidity from treatable conditions. Conversely, improved access is often synonymous with improved development outcomes. For example, women with access to roads in Pakistan are twice more likely (14% vs 28%) to go to pre-natal consultations. In rural Morocco, girls’ enrollment in primary schools increased from 17% to 54% when their access to roads improved.
Looking particularly at rural roads investments, the construction of a new road can lead to a chain of positive impacts. When a rural community gets connected to the road network, people who could not reach healthcare, schools, or other essential services before are suddenly able to do so. Workers can access more and better jobs. Farmers can sell their products in more distant markets. But these outcomes can only materialize if rural road projects are carefully planned and prioritized. Also, while investments in road networks are often a critical first step toward enhancing accessibility, they should be integrated into a broader investment package targeting social and technological development overall.
However, transforming this knowledge into action had been hard to operationalize. Lack of data regarding the transport network, opportunities, limited computing power to calculate travel times in large areas and lack of consistent framework had made it hard for us to take this academic research into an operational reality. We needed to understand exactly which transport projects will have the highest impact on accessibility? How would this accessibility transform into household welfare? And how do we create tools to inform planning and investment decisions?
To address these questions, the World Bank’s Transport and Poverty and Equity teams jointly developed a new framework that relies on high-resolution mapping and other sophisticated analytical tools to provide a more granular view of how rural road infrastructure can benefit communities.
We are now able to deploy all that knowledge into operational action, by developing an analytical framework that highlights spatial disparities in access to services and opportunities, calculates the expected gains in accessibility from investments into road infrastructure and thereby informs the placement of transport investments throughout the region.
Targets 5% GDP growth next fiscal year to create new jobs
Finance chief sees this year’s fiscal deficit just above 7%
Video player cover image
WATCH: Pakistan's finance minister says the country plans to boost spending on large infrastructure projects by as much as 40% to create jobs.(Source: Bloomberg)
By Faseeh Mangi and Khalid Qayum
May 6, 2021, 8:37 AM PDTUpdated onMay 6, 2021, 9:46 PM PDT
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-06/pakistan-to-spend-bare-minimum-6-billion-to-boost-growth
Pakistan plans to boost spending on large infrastructure projects by as much as 40% to create jobs and foster productivity in an economy crippled by the coronavirus pandemic, Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin said.
The federal government will earmark as much as 900 billion rupees ($6 billion) for development expenditure in the year beginning July, Tarin, who took office last month, said in an interview in Islamabad. The economy needs to expand by 5% next year, he said.
“That’s the bare minimum we need for a country this size,” said Tarin, who is due to present a new budget next month for the world’s fifth most-populous nation. “There are almost 110 million youth.”
Tarin, a former banker, was appointed last month as the fourth finance minister since Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government took power in 2018. He also served in the role between 2008 and 2010, helping the nation avoid default by securing a bailout from the International Monetary Fund. He comes into office as Pakistan faces a third wave of coronavirus cases, prompting authorities to order a week-long shutdown that may weigh on economic activity and hurt incomes.
Tarin’s plan will reverse his predecessor’s decision to lower spending to narrow the budget deficit, which he estimates to be a little above 7% of gross domestic product in the current fiscal year through June, against 8.1% in the previous year. Tarin said he expects the deficit in the next fiscal to be 1 or 1.5 percentage points lower.
While balancing the budget will be key for Pakistan’s current $6 billion loan program with the IMF, the new finance minister is negotiating with the organization for more wriggle room to support economic growth.
The government’s GDP target for next year is a percentage point higher than the IMF’s 4% projection, and Tarin is seeking to boost growth to 6% in the year after. The Washington-based lender sees the economy expanding 1.5% in the current fiscal period after a rare contraction last year.
“We need 2 million jobs every year,” he said. “If we do not go into growth mode, we will have a major crisis on the streets.”
The central bank, which has cut interest rates to a three-year low to support the economy, has been on pause mode for a while and has left some of the heavy lifting to the government.
“First we have to get more revenues,” Tarin said, adding that he’s targeting about 6 trillion rupees next year in tax authority revenue, compared with this year’s 4.75 trillion-rupee target. “Unless we get more revenues, forget about any incentives to boost the economy.”
Other comments from Tarin’s interview:
On talks with the IMF: “All we are saying is that we are just basically going to give them alternate ways of achieving the same objective” including revenue generation and reducing energy debt, adding that the aim is for this to be the last IMF bailout in Pakistan’s history
Plans to tap undrawn allocated funds from Asian Development Bank and World Bank that total $20 billion
Aims to increase tech exports to $8 billion in two years, from an estimated $2 billion this fiscal year, a sector he said that he aims to support
Nation plans to soon launch global sukuk bond
https://www.app.com.pk/global/cpec-western-route-development-strategically-significant-chinese-scholar/
These views were expressed by Cheng Xizhong, visiting Prof. at Southwest University of Political Science and Law, and former Defence Attache in South Asian countries said.
The construction of the Hakla-D I Khan Motorway, a milestone achievement on the CPEC Western Route, has been completed and put into operation, which provides fast connectivity to the locals as well as paves the way for preparing the shortest route for logistics moving to and from northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to Pakistan’s Gwadar Port.
Now, transportation infrastructure is the top priority. So far, the construction of the 235 km Quetta-Sohrab Road, the 449 km Surab-Hoshab Road, the 193 km Hoshab-Gwadar Road, the 210 km D I Khan-Zhob Road and the 297 km Hakla-D I Khan Motorway have been successfully completed, he said in his article published by China Economic Net (CEN).
Other transportation infrastructure projects on the CPEC Western Route, including the 305 km Zhob-Quetta Road, the 110 km Basima-Khuzdar Road, the Nokundi-Mashkel Road and the 146 km Hoshab-Awaran Road are under construction, especially the D I Khan-Zhob Road and Zhob-Quetta Road under construction will minimize the travel time from the federal capital to Quetta.
Compared with the eastern region, western areas of Pakistan are underdeveloped. Therefore, he believed that the construction of the CPEC Western Route and development of the western areas of Pakistan are of great strategic significance.
First, the construction of transportation infrastructure can drive the development of other infrastructures such as energy, modern agriculture and industry and Special Economic Zones (SEZs), completely changing the long-term lag of social and economic development in the western region and usher in the prosperity in western part of the country.
Second, the surrounding areas of the roads and motorways on the CPEC Western Route comprise of landscapes and farms producing vegetables, pulses, grains and fruits, especially the high-quality mangoes and dates.
Therefore, western development will open up the fertile hidden areas of North Punjab, Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan to all kinds of trade and business. Thus, it can promote large-scale employment, eliminate local poverty and enable the local people to embark on the road of prosperity together with people in other parts of the country.
Third, from the perspective of regional connectivity, the construction of the CPEC Western Route has very important regional strategic significance. Western Pakistan is adjacent to Afghanistan and Iran. Once the transportation infrastructure in western part is fully completed, it will create conditions for the CPEC westward extension.
In this way, the prosperity created by CPEC can radiate to the whole Central and West Asia through Afghanistan and Iran, so as to realize broader regional connectivity and regional common prosperity, he said.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1672882
https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/768396/economic-corridor-development-pakistan.pdf
Explaining the rationale behind selecting the routes, the study said: "[They] offer real untapped economic potential with opportunities to diversify; good development synergy for linking production networks especially small and medium-sized enterprises with markets and other economic agents; close links to the CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) and Carec (Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation) routes; and favourable prospects for connecting and realising the economic potential of underdeveloped regions in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa."
Maximising CPEC benefits
The study also touched upon CPEC and said that it could pull off a number of economic objectives if it was implemented successfully.
However, it cautioned that CPEC alone could not improve the economy and would need to be supported by structural reforms to unleash its true potential.
The ADB report suggested four policy recommendations to fully benefit from CPEC.
Undertaking structural reforms to facilitate private sector development.
Broadening the tax base to make use of the country's tax revenue potential and improve fairness of tax collection.
Utilising transport infrastructure under CPEC to maximise investment return and turn it into a multilateral initiative.
Expediting development of nine special economic zones planned along CPEC routes.
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/03/27/kachhi-canal-to-increase-agricultural-production-in-region-bizenjo/
Under the project, the existing main canal will be further extended by another 40kms.In addition, a 32km long water distribution system will also be constructed in the command area to irrigate another 30,000 acres of land in Dera Bugti district. WAPDA has already constructed a 363km main canal and 81km long allied water distribution system to irrigate 72,000 acres of land. The canal possessing a discharge capacity of 6000 cusecs, that takes off from Taunsa Barrage in Muzaffargarh district of Punjab, enters Balochistan’s Dera Bugti district
Kachhi Canal is a vital project to alleviate poverty and eradicate extremism in remote and backward areas of Balochistan by developing irrigated agriculture and an agro-based economy in the province. Experts have termed the land being cultivated in Sui and adjacent areas of Dera Bugti district through Kacchi Canal as a good omen for Balochistan as it has brought in a phenomenal change in the livelihood of the locals.
https://youtu.be/prHfXrfCLPE
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2351918/balochistan-water-storage-increases
The water storage capacity of Balochistan has reached 68,939 acre feet which will enhance the irrigation network and address water scarcity issues of the drought-hit province.
Under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), as many as 27 dams have been completed having storage capacity of 68,939 acre feet in various districts of Balochistan.
There are also ongoing small, medium, large and delayed action dams at various stages of implementation that will further add another 9.016 million acre feet (MAF) to the existing storage capacity.
After the construction of large reservoirs in the country, the storage capacity of water will increase several million-acre feet that will help store rain and floods water during monsoon.
An official of the Ministry of Water and Power told APP that the work was underway on various projects in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh to address the growing issue of water scarcity.
“The federal government is also providing funds for construction of various small, medium, large, and delay action and recharge dam projects in the country through Federal Public Sector Development Program (PSDP)”, he said.
These projects aimed at providing water for irrigation, agriculture, and drinking purposes which were being implemented by WAPDA and Irrigation Departments of four provinces besides the Public Health Engineering Department, Balochistan.
At present combined storage capacity of Mangla, Tarbela, and Chashma reservoirs is about 14.349 MAF. After the completion of ongoing projects i.e. Mohmand, Diamer Basha, and Nai Gaj Dams, the gross storage capacity will be increased to 23.988 MAF.
Group of Seven leaders on Sunday pledged to raise $600 billion in private and public funds over five years to finance needed infrastructure in developing countries and counter China's older, multitrillion-dollar Belt and Road project.
U.S. President Joe Biden and other G7 leaders relaunched the newly renamed "Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment," at their annual gathering being held this year at Schloss Elmau in southern Germany.
Biden said the United States would mobilize $200 billion in grants, federal funds and private investment over five years to support projects in low- and middle-income countries that help tackle climate change as well as improve global health, gender equity and digital infrastructure.
"I want to be clear. This isn't aid or charity. It's an investment that will deliver returns for everyone," Biden said, adding that it would allow countries to "see the concrete benefits of partnering with democracies."
Biden said hundreds of billions of additional dollars could come from multilateral development banks, development finance institutions, sovereign wealth funds and others.
Europe will mobilize 300 billion euros for the initiative over the same period to build up a sustainable alternative to China's Belt and Road Initiative scheme, which Chinese President Xi Jinping launched in 2013, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the gathering.
The leaders of Italy, Canada and Japan also spoke about their plans, some of which have already been announced separately. French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson were not present, but their countries are also participating.
China's investment scheme involves development and programs in over 100 countries aimed at creating a modern version of the ancient Silk Road trade route from Asia to Europe.
White House officials said the plan has provided little tangible benefit for many developing countries.
Biden highlighted several flagship projects, including a $2 billion solar development project in Angola with support from the Commerce Department, the U.S. Export-Import Bank, U.S. firm AfricaGlobal Schaffer, and U.S. project developer Sun Africa.
Together with G7 members and the EU, Washington will also provide $3.3 million in technical assistance to Institut Pasteur de Dakar in Senegal as it develops an industrial-scale flexible multi-vaccine manufacturing facility in that country that can eventually produce COVID-19 and other vaccines, a project that also involves the EU.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will also commit up to $50 million over five years to the World Bank’s global Childcare Incentive Fund.
Friederike Roder, vice president of the non-profit group Global Citizen, said the pledges of investment could be "a good start" toward greater engagement by G7 countries in developing nations and could underpin stronger global growth for all.
G7 countries on average provide only 0.32% of their gross national income, less than half of the 0.7% promised, in development assistance, she said.
"But without developing countries, there will be no sustainable recovery of the world economy," she said.
China will assist Pakistan in producing embryos of high-milk yielding cows and in setting up contract-farms growing high-yield chilis.
https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/09/21/cows-and-chillies-the-cpec-plan-to-revamp-agriculture-and-livestock/
What does CPEC have to do with agriculture?
The concept is very simple. In Pakistan, there are a few critical problems that hamper agriculture, livestock, and all manner of produce. The specifics are usually things like poor seed quality, a lack of modern farming techniques, low-yield, and a lack of skilled farm labour. The solution to all of these problems is singular — research.
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Currently there are two end-goals. The first is to improve the genetic variations of cows being used in Pakistan for dairy farming. To achieve this, Pakistan requires better embryos to be able to farm elite animals with high-yields and long lives. To this end, the Royal Group of China has established a laboratory in Lahore to develop buffalo embryos of elite animals. The company also plans to set up a buffalo dairy farm of 8,000 heads. The project is aimed at significantly improving buffalo breeds and milk yield both in Pakistan and China.
On the other front, the Sichuan Litong Ltd. and China Machinery and Engineering Corporation have started chilli contract-farming in Punjab and Sindh on 400 hectares. The company is providing local farmers technology and training to grow high-quality chilis. It has planned to expand this operation on 10,000 hectares and to also establish a chilli processing plant.
The chilli project is actually quite fascinating. Pakistan as a country has ideal conditions for growing chillies. As per the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (Economic Wing), chilli is grown on 47,349 hectares in Pakistan with a crop yield of about 2.68 tons per hectare (1.072 tons per acre) and an annual production of around 126,943 tons in FY 2018-19. Over the past couple of years, however, chillies have first seen a significant increase in yield and then a significant dip.
While chillies are a native product that thrive in the region, the reality is that demand (particularly international demand) varies because of the unreliability of the crops in Pakistan. To this end, the Chinese companies taking on the chilli project are hoping to use better farming techniques, the latest research, and better seeds to grow more chillies in a smaller area and then export them to China. To do this, perhaps what is a bigger deal is that they will process and dry these chillies before exporting them — making it one of the few crops that get post harvest treatment in Pakistan as well. If successful, this may open other avenues for export for Pakistan as well.
The potential really is massive. Earlier this year, near the end of May, six model farms under Pakistan-China Red Chilli Contract Farming Project achieved a bumper harvest in southern Punjab and northern Sindh, with an estimated yield of 700 tons of dried chillies. According to Dai Bao, leader of the agricultural project of China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) in Pakistan, crops in the six model farms with a total area of nearly 300 acres began bearing fruits in May. As part of the process, more than 200 local technicians were trained this planting season and nearly 1,000 jobs were created
A similar story stands on the livestock end of the equation as well. Other than trying to ensure high-quality embryos the China Animal Husbandry Industry Co., Ltd. is also planning a livestock vaccine production plant in Gwadar which would produce vaccines to prevent animal diseases such as foot and mouth disease.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1733179
DERA MURAD JAMALI: The first phase of the Kachhi canal has been completed while a survey to start the work on second and third phases was underway.
This was claimed by Kachhi Canal Project Engineer Syed Khalid Shah during a briefing to Balochistan Minister for Irrigation Muhammad Khan Lehri, who visited the canal along with Irrigation Secretary Abdul Fatah Bhangar and other officials.
In the first phase, the work on 363km has been completed, Mr Shah said, adding in the second phase, work on another 58km stretch would be completed. In the third phase, the remaining 44km portion of the canal would be built. As soon as the survey was completed, the work on second and third phases would be initiated, the minister was told.
Mr Lehri said with the completion of the first phase of the canal, over one lac acres of agricultural land would be brought under cultivation.
“It was a long-standing demand of the people of Nasirabad division which was fulfilled today,” Mr Lehri said, adding with the canal, a new era of development and prosperity would begin in Nasirabad, Jhal Magsi and Kachhi districts.
The farmers in Nasirabad would get water for their crops while the issue of clean drinking water for the locals would also be resolved.
He praised the efforts of Wapda and said it played an important role in completion of the first phase of the canal.
The work on the Kachhi canal project was set to be inaugurated in 2002 by the then president retired general Pervez Musharraf.
However, the project suffered gross cost overruns and an inordinate delay of almost two decades. Later, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi inaugurated the 300km project in 2017.
https://www.barrick.com/English/news/news-details/2023/reko-diq-constitutes-community-development-committee-for-locally-driven-development/default.aspx
NOKKUNDI, BALOCHISTAN – Reko Diq Mining Company (RDMC), a subsidiary of Barrick Gold Corporation, has constituted a 25-member Community Development Committee (CDC) at Nokkundi in the Chagai district. The CDC comprises local stakeholders and community leaders who will guide the company’s social investment plan in the area.
Speaking at the event, Ali Ehsan Rind, the country manager of RDMC said: “In all its operations worldwide, Barrick strives to be a good corporate citizen and a genuine partner of the host communities in locally led development. With the formation of this CDC, representing all the key local stakeholders, I am confident that our work will become a catalyst for the social development of the local communities.”
The meeting was also attended by the district commissioner of Chaghi, the deputy director of mines (Balochistan), tribal elders, local notables and a cross-section of representatives from the district.
The Nokkundi CDC was formulated after an extensive consultative process and engagement with 62 stakeholders. Its mandate includes consultation for consensus on the selection of social investment initiatives to be undertaken by the company.
Community Development Committees
CDCs are our community development partnership model, comprised of community members, elected locally and include a representative from the company to ensure projects chosen align with the five sustainable development focus areas and adhere to our policies including procurement and accountable governance.
The formation of this CDC is a concrete step taken by RDMC to ensure that the business delivers social investment projects of significant and lasting benefit to the local communities among whom it will operate. The management of RDMC values sustainable development and mutual advantage and seeks to build a harmonious partnership amongst the communities in and around the RD project area.
Reko Diq will be a multi-generational mine with a life of at least 40 years. During peak construction the project is expected to employ 7,500 people and once in production it will create 4,000 long-term jobs. Barrick’s policy of prioritizing local employment and suppliers will have a positive impact on the local economy. The company plans to finish the Reko Diq feasibility study update by the end of 2024, with 2028 targeted for first production from the giant copper-gold mine in the country’s Balochistan province. The new Reko Diq agreement ensures that benefits from the project start accruing to the people of Balochistan well before the mine goes
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1086783-chinese-companies-help-in-improving-social-sector
Islamabad: Chinese companies have enhanced their role in social development of Pakistan, while addressing the country’s economic and development issues. The companies are an integral part of CPEC. They are the torch bearer of this flagship project of BRI. They are not only helping Pakistan overcome its infrastructure problems but also investing in social development, skills, and environmental protection in Pakistan. All Chinese companies are investing in social development, but only a few have been selected for discussion, a report carried by Gwadar Pro. The Chinese companies not only helped to create thousands of jobs but also invested in building the capacity of hundreds of engineers and staff members.
According to available data, Huaneng Shandong Rui Group, which built the Sahiwal coal power invested in 622 employees for building their capacity and sharpen their skills. Further segregation of data shows that 245 engineers were trained following the need for required skills at plants. Port Qasim also contributed to building the capacity of engineers and staff members. Data shows that 2,600 employees benefited from the capacity-building and skill development opportunities offered by the Port Qasim plant. It trained 600 engineers and 2,000 general staff members.
It is a huge number, especially in the engineering category. It will help Pakistan; as Pakistan has a shortage of qualified and trained engineers. These companies also assisted Pakistan during floods and COVID-19. Second, the Chinese Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC) is another Chines company, which is investing in social development. The major contribution of COPHC is in the sectors of education, waste management, environmental protection, and the provision of food.
https://pakobserver.net/quetta-to-get-8-1m-gallon-water-from-mangi-dam/
Mangi Dam is to be completed by December 2023 to provide around 8.1 million gallon of water daily to Quetta city and surrounding areas, an official of the Balochistan government said on Monday. The development work on Mangi Dam had been accelerated which would help overcome the shortfall of water in the area, he added.
The construction of various dams on the outskirts of Quetta city including Mangi Dam, Srah Khullah Dam and others would supply water to Quetta through pipelines. With the completion of these projects water issue would be resolved in the provincial capital, he added.
https://www.barrick.com/English/news/news-details/2024/Second-Cohort-of-Graduates-from-Balochistan-Selected-for-Reko-Diq-International-Graduate-Development-Program/default.aspx
KARACHI – Reko Diq Mining Company (RDMC) is proud to announce the selection of eighteen talented young graduates from Balochistan for the second cohort of the prestigious RDMC International Graduate Development Program (IGP). As part of its to commitment to develop local and national employees, Barrick, the operator of RDMC, launched the International Graduate Development Program for the Reko Diq project in July 2023.
Welcoming IGP 2024 cohort at a ceremony in Karachi, Barrick CEO Mark Bristow said, “We are excited to have you join the Reko Diq International Graduate Development Program. Since its inception this program has aimed to engage young graduates like you from Balochistan to equip them with the skills necessary for successful careers at Reko Diq and in the mining industry. I would urge you to embrace this opportunity to learn, collaborate and shape the future of the Reko Diq project, your province and the country.”
For the 2024 program, a rigorous merit-based selection process led to the identification of eighteen exceptional graduates from a competitive pool of over 3,000 applicants. Among those selected are four women, underscoring Barrick's commitment to gender diversity within the mining sector. The graduates hold degrees in various fields, including Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Geological Engineering, Civil Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Mining Engineering, and Geology.
Like the selected graduates of 2023, this second batch of talented youth from Balochistan will embark on an intensive two-year on-the-job training program at Barrick’s mine sites at of Veladero in Argentina and Lumwana in Zambia. This hands-on experience is designed to equip them with practical skills and insights into world-class mining operations. Upon completion of the program, graduates typically return to Barrick operations in their home country, contributing to driving positive change in their communities.
The selected cohort represents a diverse range of districts in Balochistan, including Panjgur, Gwadar, Quetta, Loralai, Khuzdar, Noshki, Musa Khel, Killa Saifullah, Zhob, and the Chagai district where Reko Diq is located. Their participation in the program not only helps to address the regional skills gap but also promotes local empowerment and economic development.
https://azbigmedia.com/business/economy/how-cpec-is-shaping-pakistans-economic-future/
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is more than just an economic project; it is a transformational venture that promises to reshape the future of Pakistan. As part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), CPEC is aimed at enhancing connectivity and cooperation between Pakistan and China, while positioning Pakistan as a crucial economic player in the region.
Historical Context of CPEC
CPEC’s journey began in 2013, when Pakistan and China signed agreements aimed at developing infrastructure and energy projects across Pakistan. These initiatives were intended to bridge Pakistan’s development gaps and promote economic growth. Over time, the project has evolved into one of the most ambitious undertakings in the country’s history, with investments pouring into sectors such as transportation, energy, and communication.
Economic Benefits of CPEC for Pakistan
One of the key outcomes of CPEC is the transformation of Pakistan’s infrastructure landscape. The project has enabled the construction of road networks, railway lines, and ports, significantly improving the country’s connectivity. The Gwadar Port, a focal point of CPEC, is poised to become a major hub for trade, not only for Pakistan but for the broader region.
CPEC has also addressed Pakistan’s chronic energy crisis through the development of power projects. From coal-based power plants to renewable energy projects, CPEC has added much-needed capacity to Pakistan’s power generation, ensuring a stable supply of electricity to boost industrial growth.
Furthermore, the corridor has generated employment opportunities across Pakistan. From construction workers to skilled professionals, thousands of jobs have been created, contributing to economic stability.
“Pakistan’s economic potential is immense, and CPEC is paving the way for a brighter future,” shares Tahir Farooq, founder ofPakistan Economic Net. He emphasizes the importance of strategic partnerships and infrastructure development in driving sustainable growth for the region.
Geopolitical Significance
The geopolitical significance of CPEC cannot be understated. Pakistan’s strategic position allows CPEC to serve as a key trade route connecting China to the Middle East and beyond. This has not only strengthened China-Pakistan relations but also increased Pakistan’s importance in regional politics. The development of Gwadar Port further enhances Pakistan’s access to international trade routes, benefiting both Pakistan and neighboring regions.
Social and Regional Impacts
CPEC is also having a noticeable impact on local communities. In regions that were previously underdeveloped, investments in infrastructure are improving access to basic amenities, healthcare, and education. The socio-economic transformation that CPEC is driving is especially evident in rural and remote areas of Pakistan, where new infrastructure projects are bringing unprecedented opportunities for growth.
Challenges and Criticisms
However, CPEC is not without its challenges. Critics have raised concerns about Pakistan’s increasing debt burden and financial dependency on China. The environmental impact of large-scale construction projects is another major concern, with potential damage to local ecosystems and natural habitats.
There are also political challenges, particularly in regions where instability threatens the smooth progress of CPEC initiatives. Ensuring the safety of projects and personnel remains a priority, as regional tensions can have a direct impact on the success of the corridor.
Future Prospects of CPEC
Looking ahead, CPEC holds immense potential for driving Pakistan’s economic growth. As projects under CPEC continue to be completed, the corridor is expected to boost trade, create jobs, and diversify Pakistan’s economy. It is critical for policymakers to manage the challenges effectively to fully realize the benefits that CPEC offers.
The Nara Canal, the longest canal in Pakistan at approximately 225 miles (362 km), plays a crucial role in the agricultural prosperity of Sindh. Starting from the Sukkur Barrage on the Indus River, it flows south through major agricultural regions, including Khairpur, Sanghar, and Umerkot, before concluding near the Rann of Kutch.
The canal, with a depth ranging between 15 to 20 feet, irrigates more than 600,000 hectares (1,500,000 acres) of land, transforming dry regions into fertile fields.
As a lifeline for Sindh's agriculture, the Nara Canal enables the cultivation of essential crops like wheat, cotton, and sugarcane, alongside various fruits and vegetables. This waterway not only supports Pakistan’s agricultural economy but also sustains countless local communities, making it indispensable for the region’s livelihood and development.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1867286
AMID rapidly depleting water resources, Punjab has embarked upon an exercise to build new canals and develop new command areas. The Green Pakistan Initiative is pursuing its agenda of ploughing millions of acres of hitherto barren land, especially in Cholistan.
With an appetite for large-scale corporate agriculture, it is pressing the government to complete six strategic canals on a fast-track basis. These include the Chubara Canal as the second phase of the Greater Thal Canal, the Kachhi Canal, the Rainee Canal, the Thar Canal, the Chashma Right Bank Canal and the Cholistan Flood Feeder Canal. The total command area of these canals is 3.58 million acres.
Sindh, the lowest riparian, is upset at the recent decision of the Central Development Working Party that disregarded its objections and approved the Cholistan Flood Feeder Canal. This canal is part of the Smaller Cholistan irrigation project proposed on the Sutlej River. The canal will further feed four canal systems to irrigate 0.6m acres in the Cholistan desert of Bahawalpur and Bahawal Nagar districts. Water availability for this project was certified by the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) in January 2024. Sindh has concerns that the Sutlej receives water when India releases surplus flows. Hence the entire canal system will be vulnerable to uncertain flows. Climate change has rendered flood flows unreliable.
Once water rights are established, Punjab may resort to diverting water from the Indus zone through link canals during dry spells to sustain the cropped area. Sindh’s concerns are pending with the Council of Common Interests. The federal government should have deferred the project until the CCI’s decision on Sindh’s reservations. The approval of this canal will pave the way for other components of the Smaller Cholistan project that will eventually irrigate 2m acres of land.
https://www.eurasiareview.com/22112024-pakistans-cholistan-canal-myths-and-realities-oped/
The construction of the Cholistan Canal has been falsely portrayed as a threat to inter-provincial harmony, particularly between Punjab and Sindh. These narratives, however, are far from the truth. They serve not the people but those who seek to destabilize Pakistan, exploiting regional tensions for political gain. To counter this, we must demystify the project and understand its transformative potential. Pakistan’s agricultural imports have ballooned to $10 billion annually, even as we possess the capacity to meet domestic demands. For instance, the country faces a 4-million-metric-ton wheat shortfall despite being the world’s eighth-largest wheat producer. The Cholistan Canal, part of the broader Green Pakistan Initiative, is pivotal in closing this gap. By irrigating previously barren lands in the Cholistan Desert, it promises to revitalize agriculture and boost food security.
The canal’s first phase, extending 176 kilometers from the Sulemanki Barrage on the Sutlej River to Fort Abbas, will irrigate 452,000 acres of desert land. The second phase will further extend irrigation to 744,000 acres, bringing the total to over 1.2 million acres of newly cultivated land. This initiative is not just about agriculture; it is about economic empowerment. The project will generate thousands of jobs, support kharif crops like cotton, and contribute an estimated $3.79 billion annually to Pakistan’s economy through cotton production alone.
Critics claim that the canal will deprive Sindh of its fair share of water, disrupt ecosystems, and jeopardize inter-provincial agreements. These assertions are misleading. Punjab’s use of 0.58 million acre-feet (MAF) of water for the Cholistan Canal is well within its allocated share under the 1991 Water Apportionment Accord (WAA). This share represents a mere 2% of the 30 MAF of water that currently flows unused into the sea.
Furthermore, the project aligns with the WAA’s principle of provincial autonomy, allowing provinces to develop infrastructure within their allocations. The Indus River System Authority (IRSA), Pakistan’s constitutional water regulator, has already issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the canal, ensuring its compliance with federal water-sharing agreements.