Khawaja Zaheer Ahmed - PDMA

arrages. During such visits on 1 st August, the Chairman had the
opportunity to fly over Tori Bund alongwith senior officers of
Pakistan Army and noted deep and wide fissures that indicated
poor maintenance and lack of upkeep. That decision not to breach
Aliwahan Bund was taken by Sindh Government after consultations
with its Consultant, a retired irrigation Secretary, who believed that
bunds were not designed or erected to be breached; safety of
nearby railway track and national highways behind Aliwahan Bund
was pressed in, as additional justification against any suggested
breach. He pointed out the benefits of developing escape channels
to ease the flood pressures as was noted in case of the ‘Raini
Canal’ model designed for the safety of the communication
infrastructure. The case of Munda Dam construction in Swat was
cited to state that on completion, it would prevent flooding of
Nowshera as was noted from the incomplete Gomalzam Dam that
saved D.I. Khan from complete devastation in 2010. It was further
informed that initial feasibility survey of Akhori Dam will enable
authorities to reinforce its flood protection plans. The Chairman also
opined that per capita water availability had been reduced from
5,000 cmt/day in 1950 to less than 1,000 cmt /day in 2010 that
classifies Pakistan as a water-starved country; however if
existing12.95 MAF storage capacity was expanded in line with
yearly availability and past escapes to the sea [91.83 million MAF
peak in 1995] Pakistan’s existing resources were adequate for food
security of 500 million population.
f) Sahibzada Mahmood Faizi, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Food and
Agriculture (MINFA) appeared in the absence of the Secretary
reportedly out of the country, and his team was provisionally
permitted to brief about sectoral losses and expected production in
the context of food security. Mr. Faizi, deposed that within the
agriculture sector, standing 2010 Kharif crops registered most
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