24 dams being constructed in South Balochistan under PSDP, says Mengal
Project engineer says work is underway on dams in Washuk, Awaran and other areas of South Balochistan. Some of the dams will be completed by December 2020 and the rest by June 2021
At least 24 dams are being constructed in South Balochistan worth billions of rupees under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP), Muhammad Ibrahim Mengal, project engineer of 100 dams stated.
Mengal said that 60 to 65 percent work on the dams has been completed while no compromise would be made on the quality of construction which would be completed at the earliest.
He added that work is underway on 24 dams in Washuk, Awaran and other areas of South Balochistan under the federal government package three. “Some of the dams will be completed by December 2020 and the rest by June 2021,” he said.
As part of package four, he said that 20 dams would also be constructed in South Balochistan while measures are also being taken to improve ground water level for reducing the water problems that stretch throughout the province.
He maintained that dams are essential for agriculture and livestock sectors.
Climate change is making the precarious situation worse by altering the water and weather patterns around the globe, causing droughts and water shortages in some parts of the world but floods in the others.
Balochistan is no exception as it is probably the most vulnerable to water stress situation and climate change but is less equipped to deal with their negative consequences.
Many fear if the current patterns were to continue, the situation is expected to get worse. By 2025, two-thirds of Balochistan’s population may not have access to water. Already the environmental and climatic changes have affected the province badly over the decades.