KARACHI – The new task leader designate of the World Bank in Pakistan, Yohannes Yemane Kester, on Tuesday assured full support to carry out the activities under the Sindh Flood Emergency Rehabilitation Project for uplifting the living standard of masses, especially in remote areas, without any interruption. He also appreciated the pace of work in implementing the various activities during a review meeting. Yohannes has joined in place of Ahsen Tehsin, who has been posted out to Tashkent.
The Deputy Project Director Mohammad Aslam Leghari, while welcoming, briefed the WB task leader about various activities of different components of the project and disclosed that 81 roads measuring 448 kilometers had been completed as against a total number of 144 roads measuring 835 kilometers in 19 districts of Sindh. “Most of the completed roads have been handed over to the Services and Works Department for operations, and the remaining roads would be completed by the end of this year,” he added.
The meeting was informed that with the completion of these roads, a population of 1.3 million in rural areas had been facilitated to carry out their normal life activities.
In the public health sector, the total number of schemes in the districts of Badin, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Umerkot, and Shaheed Benazirabad is 137, out of which 114 are drinking water supply schemes and 23 are drainage schemes. “The six other districts, including Jamshoro, Naushero Feroz, Khairpur, Jacobabad, Dadu, and Qambar Shahdadkot, have 273 water supplies and 124 drainage schemes,” the meeting was told.
Aslam Leghari informed participants that the cash assistance phase of the project was now over as community infrastructure had been restored to a large extent by engaging almost one hundred forty thousand community workers, and now rehabilitation activities for flood-affected areas needed to be carried out for ensuring sustainability and long-term benefits to the community.” The World Bank team appreciated the project‘s Grievance Redressal Mechanism to address concerns, grievances, and complaints by flood affected regarding project activities and the implementation of all components. Complaints lodged by the public are investigated and referred to relevant agencies for their quick resolution.
During a review meeting of Rescue Service 1122, it was highlighted that it was instrumental to help people in difficult situations and rescue them from catastrophes like accidents, building collapses, floods, and medical emergencies.
The satellite stations established on national highways and motorways had been completed, and four district headquarters were completed; six would be complete by the end of the current year, while the other three would be by June 2025. The meeting was attended by Bilal Khalid of the World Bank, while SFERP was represented by the project team.
