LARKANA, Sept 8: The Sindh government awaits the final recommendations from the district Nazims of Larkana and Khairpur prior to going ahead with the project of constructing a bridge over the River Indus, which would connect both the districts.

This correspondent learnt from reliable sources here that the communication and works department had contacted Khursheed Junejo and Nafisa Shah, the district Nazims of Larkana and Khairpur respectively, for final consultations.

They said that both have been provided with a document of four proposed alignments and finally one would be selected. These alignments are (a) Khairpur-Ripri-Larkana, (b) Bakrani-North of Khohra-Khairpur, (c) Ranipur-Sobhodero-Nurpur-Mahori-Dokri, and (d) north of Bakrani-North of Khohra-Khairpur.

Khursheed Junejo had contacted Nafisa Shah for consultation so that one of the four points could be recommended to the government for early

take-off of the long-awaited project.

The idea of connecting Larkana-Khairpur district through a bridge over the River Indus was first floated in 1989 and subsequently a feasibility report was prepared with positive remarks in August 1990 and submitted to the then prime minister.

M/S A. A. Associates designed the bridge recommending the location as Ranipur-Gambat-Agra-Bakrani.

With the change of government, a new alignment was floated, which the then chief minister had also approved, but the National Highway Authority opposed it.

The project again came in the limelight in 1993 and subsequently the then prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, had approved a new link — Ranipur-Gambat-Ripri-Akil-Larkana — in May 1995.

The PC-I was cleared on October 8, 1995 for Rs2091.87 million by the National Highway Authority Board and an amount of Rs100 million was allocated in 1996-1997 and tenders were called where three foreign contractors submitted the bid.

With the removal of the PPP government, the project was dropped on February 4, 1997.

People did not give up the demand despite political instability.

The chief minister, Sindh, on April 25, 1997 had again changed the alignment of the bridge and tentatively approved another location from Ranipur-Saggyon-Mohenjodaro. The chairman, National Highway Authority, and the secretary, communication and works department, Sindh, were asked to finalize the location.

In May 1998, the above location was approved, but again in October 1999 the government was changed.

Terming the hydraulic data unreliable, the then Sindh minister for irrigation in May 2000 asked for conducting fresh studies which came up for discussions on Sept 18, 2000 and finally a location — Nurpur-Mashori-Dokri — was approved.

Passing through these uncertainties, the issue of constructing the bridge remained the linchpin of the discussions with the birth of devolution of power plan.

The Nazims of both Larkana and Khairpur districts did not spare any chance to talk about the project at various meetings.

Khursheed Junejo told this correspondent that the communication and works department, Sindh, was pressing hard to finalize the location keeping in view the maximum benefit to the population.

The meeting was expected to be held in mid-September, he said.

It was learnt that both the Nazims had agreed on giving a go-ahead signal to the government for the construction of the bridge over the Indus at a cost of Rs2,335.75 million.

Mr Junejo said that the people of Larkana and Khairpur were waiting impatiently for work to start on the bridge, and added that it would not only connect both the districts but also connect the National Highway with the Indus Highway and provide an alternative route for transport.