Nai Gaj Dam: Court seeks time-frame for construction of project

LAHORE: Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda and Minister for Planning and Development Khusro Bakhtyar appeared in the Supreme Court hearing about construction of Nai Gaj dam in Sindh on Friday.

The bench had summoned three federal ministers Asad Umar, Faisal Vawda and Khusro Bakhtyar in the case.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar heard the case regarding lack of funding in the construction of the dam, which has delayed the completion of the project.

The court demanded the ministers to produce a time-frame for the construction of the Nai Gaj dam project.

Chief Jusitce Nisar remarked that the issues go in pending if the court doesn’t intervene.

Planning Minister Khusro Bakhtyar told the bench that the government of Sindh have reservations over Manchhar Lake. “Bhasha and Mohmand dams are in our priority. We are offering special attention to development of water resources,” the minister said.

Chief Justice directed the government to take all stakeholders along and warned that any delay in water and health related issues will not be tolerate. The matters should not go in pending due to bureaucratic matters, the chief justice said.

The petitioner in past hearings of the case informed the bench that the PC-1 for the construction of Nai Gaj Dam has been submitted but funds for the project not being released.

The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) has yet to grant approval of the project.

The Supreme Court had accepted a petition for hearing regarding the construction of Nai Gaj dam in September this year.