Call to adopt environmental protection measures in construction work

HYDERABAD: The speakers at a workshop, organized by Sindh Water Sector Improvement Project (WSIP) here on Thursday, underscored the need of following environmental protection measures in the projects which involve construction activity.

Participated by the officials of Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (SIDA) and WSIP , engineers and consultant groups, the speakers at the workshop also shed light on the fallout of projects which did not consider environmental safety.

"The need is to raise awareness on this crucial issue among the government and irrigation officers, contractors, engineers and the consultants," said WSIP's Project Coordinator Dr Fateh Marri.

Marri complained that many projects simply disregard the importance of environment and in doing so they end up increasing problems for the people concerned.

"The construction of certain sections of Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD) is a case in point," he said while giving an example.

He observed that certain measures which were necessary to protect environment might impact the project design or might also increase its cost but ignoring those things had far greater implications.

Project Director WSIP Dr Zahid Junejo said that WSIP was implementing all its projects in consultation with the stakeholders. "They are not only involved in consultation but also in the process of building and operating the projects," he added.

He said that the WSIP was adopting environmental protection measures in accordance with the guidelines of World bank.

Director Small Projects of WSIP Babur Effendi said that under the WSIP a transparent sharing of irrigation water was being ensured in order to optimize the agricultural production through bringing under cultivation larger areas of arable land.

World Bank's Consultant Shahid Lutfi, Global Environment Management System Director Samiullah Siddiqui, environmental expert Dr Najam Khursheed, Sindh Wildlife Department Conservator Saeed Baloch and Prof Abdul Rasheed Memon of Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET) also addressed the workshop.

Later, Project Director WSIP Dr Zahid Junejo distributed certificates among the participants of workshop. (APP)