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QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Muhammad Yousuf on Tuesday said the federal government had allocated Rs 8 billion under the drought programme for solving the water issue of the province.
He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the Quetta Water Supply Project at Karkhasa valley, in the outskirts of the provincial capital. The chief minister said the people of Balochistan were thankful to President Pervez Musharraf for his keen interest in the project.
Jam said the mega projects being implemented in the province would change the lot of people of the province, as these would help do away with the backwardness of Balochistan. "It will be implemented within next three to four months," he said and added that the provincial government had stopped work on the Water Supply Project due to some technical reasons in July last. However, work was resumed after removing the shortcomings in its implementation following the directives of President Musharraf. Under the Emergency Work Plan, he said, the project would be completed by March 2005.
The chief minister said the project would be designed in a way that it benefits the population of Quetta by supplying water for next 25 years. He directed that water be supplied to the residents of the areas through pipe system and that the sanitation system worked sufficiently.
Water is a great blessing of Allah Almighty and it must be preserved, he said, adding that unnecessary use of the water should be stopped and desired steps should be taken in this regard.
Jam also stressed the need to develop mutual rapport among the government functionaries, elected representatives and the masses to create awareness about the judicious use of water and to devise a comprehensive report to overcome the water crisis.
Speaking on the occasion, Quetta City District Government Nazim Muhammad Rahim Kakar said the city government and Wasa management would extend wholehearted cooperation to implement the project. He said they had launched several projects for the uplift and beautification of the city.
Earlier, the Additional Chief Secretary Development, Maj (retd) Nadir Ali briefed the participants on the project. | 
