Secretary Defence Lieutenant General Tariq Waseem Ghazi has asked the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) to make concerted efforts for bringing a tangible improvement in water supply, sewerage and sanitation systems in the DHA.
He said that this would help in achieving the goals of healthy, vibrant and efficient civic life. He was addressing the 21st Annual Meeting of DHA Governing Body held here on Monday. Corps Commander 5 Corp Lieutenant General Syed Athar Ali, Administrator DHA Brigadier Maqsood Hussain and other senior officers also attended the meeting.
The Defence Secretary, who is also Chairman of the DHA Governing Body, stressed upon the need for revitalising and re-orientating the strategy of refurbishment of old phases of the Authority. He directed that the works demanding emergent attention should be started simultaneously as a crash programme in all the phases to provide immediate relief to the residents. He also emphasised on maintaining highest quality in execution of all the works.
The governing body was informed that the rehabilitation project of the entire old phases of the Authority at an estimated cost of Rs 1.2 billion would pickup pace under a renewed strategy and would be completed within three to four years.
The governing body directed the DHA management to initiate crash programmes on war footings to combat the problem of scarcity of water in the DHA. The chairman directed that pragmatic, realistic and result-oriented strategy encompassing revamping of the entire water supply lines, getting enhanced bulk supply from Karachi Water & Sewerage Board (KW&SB) and judicious and equitable distribution of water in all areas be adopted to improve the situation.
The Defence secretary also asked the DHA to ensure that the Authority's power and desalination plant become fully operational by the end of the next year, which would significantly contribute towards mitigating the water scarcity problem.
Lieutenant General Ghazi asked the Defence Housing Authority to take effective steps for improvement of security environment in the DHA. In this regard, check posts equipped with modern surveillance cameras at important entry points of the Authority would monitor the movement of vehicles and DHA Vigilance Branch would be equipped with modern wireless equipment and transport to enhance its effectiveness.
He directed the DHA to speed up the implementation pace of Water Front Development project, which envisages development of Sea View beach into a unique public entertainment-cum-recreational resort. He said that the reinvigorated strategy should focus on speedy development of anchor points with necessary infrastructure available. He added that this would ensure speedy development of the entire beach front through massive local and foreign investment.
Administrator DHA informed the governing body that the inflows from the beach development project would be directly funnelled into the refurbishment project of old phases of the Authority. He reiterated that the Water Front Development Project would act as an engine of growth for ushering in an era of development and progress in DHA.
Earlier, Administrator DHA Brigadier Maqsood Hussian gave a detailed resume of the development works undertaken by the Authority and highlighted the phenomenal features of the budget. The Board accorded approval of the DHA Budget 2005-06. The governing body also accorded approval for the registration of real estate agents operating in the DHA.
Corps Commander Lieutenant General Syed Ather Ali, addressing the meeting, expressed his confidence that the DHA through adoption of a pragmatic and forward-looking strategy would meet the future challenges effectively.-PR
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