ISLAMABAD: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday approved about Rs333.6 billion worth of 10 development projects for flood-related recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction across the country.

Most projects, worth Rs233bn of the total, related to Sindh, which took the brunt of the flood-related damage.

The Ecnec meeting, presided over by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, was attended by federal ministers for planning, communications and commerce, prime minister’s special assistants on finance and revenue, provincial finance ministers of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Senator Nisar Ahmed Khuhro on behalf of Sindh government.

The meeting approved the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the National Highway 5 (N-5) from Moro to Ranipur (around 90 kilometres) and 32 damaged bridges at a total cost of Rs36.2bn — $164.6 million under the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) flood emergency loan to the extent of 90pc project cost and 10pc Pakistan government’s share.

Most projects worth Rs233bn are in Sindh, which took brunt of damage after monsoon deluge since mid-June

The meeting approved Rs48.3bn worth of Sindh Flood Emergency Rehabilitation Project (SFERP) under the irrigation component to be fully funded by the World Bank. The project is related to the issues of water conservation, protection of infrastructure from floods and institutional reforms in various districts of Sindh.

Sindh’s another Rs66bn worth of SFERP — infrastructure, livelihoods (rescue 1122 component) — was also approved with a foreign exchange component of Rs59.4bn ($30 million) to restore roads, water supplies, rehabilitate damaged drainage system, etc., in various districts.

Ecnec approved another Rs70.45bn Sindh Water and Agriculture Transformation (SWAT) Project located in over 23 districts. The meeting approved yet another Rs48.3bn project for Sindh on Strengthening Social Protection Delivery System in Sindh (SSPD) with international development assistance of Rs42bn and Sindh government’s share of Rs6.3bn.

For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ecnec approved Rs15bn ($68.2m) project to reconstruct and rehabilitate irrigation, drainage system and flood protection works with a foreign exchange component of Rs13.2bn ($60m), to be funded by the KP government and the ADB.

For Balochistan, the meeting approved a Rs12.5bn ($56.8m) project involving a foreign exchange component of Rs11bn ($50m), to be funded by the Balochistan government and the ADB.

Ecnec also approved Rs3.8bn ($17.4m) under the on-farm water management component involving a foreign exchange component of Rs3.3bn ($15m), to be funded by the Balochistan government and the Asian bank.

The Ecnec approved Punjab’s Rs23.98bn improving workforce readiness, which entails Punjab’s share of Rs2.086bn and ADB’s share of Rs21.896bn.

For Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the meeting approved Rs9.018bn worth of revised project for the construction of the Authmuqam-Sharda-Kel-Taobat road section (109.2km), including two tunnels at Kahori/Kamser and Challpani section of Neelum Valley road.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2022