- Says we need to avert the looming water crisis confronting Pakistan
- Pushes Housing Ministry for early roll-out of housing plan
- Says low-cost housing with all basic facilities is the foremost priority of his govt
ISLAMABAD, September 10: Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Chief Muzammil Hussain on Monday met Prime Minister Imran Khan at his official residence in Islamabad.
Speaking out via Twitter, the country’s premier doubled down on the urgency of building the Diamer Bhasha and Mohmand Dams. “I may supervise dams project myself, given the urgency,”the Imran said.
In his tweet, the prime minister said there was a total outflow of 45 million acre-feet (MAF) in Pakistan, out of which 80 per cent was in three months. He said that only 20 per cent was the total outflow in the rest of the nine months of the year.
The prime minister added that there were only 185 dams in Pakistan of which only two were large ones. “In contrast, India has 5,000 dams and China has 84,000 dams including 4,000 large ones.”
He underscored that there was a need to avert the looming water crisis the country is facing.
Back on September 7, in his address to the nation, Imran deemed the water crisis to be the biggest issue of the country and implored overseas Pakistanis for their help.
“The largest problem is the water issue in the country,” he maintained. Khan said that it was crucial for Pakistan to build dams as failure to do so could be detrimental to its future generations.
Prime Minister Imran Khan gave a two-week deadline to the Ministry of Housing to finalise a comprehensive plan for early roll out of the ambitious plan for the construction of five million low-cost houses.Chairing a meeting at the PM Office to review progress on the project, Imran Khan said he would personally look after the initiative to ensure smooth implementation of the project and removal of any administrative bottlenecks.He asked the committee for finalisation of its recommendations and formulation of a plan of action with definite time-lines for the launch of the ambitious housing programme.
The prime minister had set up the committee last week, under the secretary housing and works to study international models and to come up with a road-map, in consultation with experts and representatives of concerned departments.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said low-cost housing with all basic facilities and regularisation of slums was the foremost priority of his government.
He said construction of affordable housing initiative would not only provide shelter to the homeless but would generate a huge economic activity by creating millions of jobs and boosting allied industries.
Imran said that besides the availability of vast state lands across the country, utilisation of prime land of the state guest houses and other government owned accommodation and properties in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone could generate billions of rupees for the housing scheme.-Agencies
