Irrigation infrastructure: Chinese Exim Bank to provide Rs1.32bn

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ISLAMABAD: The Chinese Exim Bank would provide Rs 1.32 billion (85 percent) soft loan to federal government while Rs 232.5 million (15 percent) will be provided by Sindh government for procurement of machinery for rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure.

The Sindh government had sought Rs 1.55 billion from Centre for procurement of machinery for rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure on Guddu barrage, Sukkur barrage and Kotri barrage.

According to documents available with Business Recorder, Sindh government sought track type hydraulic excavator water cooled, turbo charged fitted with six cylinder diesel engine of 150 to 160 HP, boom length and arm length between 12 to 15 meters with bucket capacity 1.0 to 1.5 Cu meter of cost Rs 440 million, dragline machine 200HP, capacity 1.5 Cu: yard fitted with diesel engine, boom length 50 to 60 ft direct start and injection of Rs 400 million and track type angles blade bulldozer, water cooled, turbo charged six cylinder diesel engine of 230 to 250 HP blade with 12 to 14 height 4 to 5 feet of Rs 225 million, etc.

Sindh government has submitted working paper for procurement of machinery for rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure to Planning Commission of Pakistan for approval and inclusion in PSDP. The Sindh government did not allocate funds for the project in ADP-2011-12.

The project is related to the issue of protection of infrastructure from onslaught of flood, reduced seepage losses in irrigation system and alleviation of poverty in the remote area of Sindh.

Sindh government through this project wants to import agriculture machinery for rehabilitation of the agriculture system after monsoon.

While explaining the objectives of the project, Sindh government said the heavy rainfall from a strong monsoon system that struck southern districts of Sindh on August 2011. During the course of heavy downpour in district Badin, Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar and Umerkot had been severely affected. This flood has damaged and wiped out major irrigation system and drainage system including LBOD for most of lower Sindh.