Daily Times

Sindh secures $92 million assistance from World Bank

In his discussion with the World Bank Country Director Najy Behhassine, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah outlined the case of Sindh relating to the destruction brought on by floods.

The amount would be taken from various bank initiatives for the relief and rehabilitation of the afflicted individuals. The chief minister was successful in obtaining clearance for $92 million in aid.

Additionally, he made a case for the restoration of the irrigation and drainage system, which would cost roughly $1 billion and for which the World Bank team will evaluate the harm and make a presentation to the board for approval.

The Sindh government was present at the meeting, along with Administrator KMC Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, Chairman P&D Hassan Naqvi, Chairman SRB Asif Memon, and concerned secretaries. A video link was used to connect the World Bank team, which included Manager of Operations Gailius Draugelis, Sector Leader Abdul Razak, Programme Leader Tobias, and Senior Specialist Ahsan Tehsin.

CM Murad noted that the monsoon season of July–August 2022 in Sindh saw record-breaking rainfall. The fact that it rained more than 308% more than average in July and 784% more than usual in August allows us to gauge the extent of the flooding.

He noted that regrettably, the recent rains have been more damaging, having a significant impact on all 30 districts of the province that have been directly affected. In addition to the loss of life, he continued, “this exceptional rainfall has severely devastated property, infrastructure, including roads, animals, and agricultural products.”

The chief minister claimed that according to early projections, the province would lose more than Rs860 billion. He continued by saying that it was anticipated that the actual losses were significantly more than the original estimates, which will come to light following a thorough and methodical analysis of the damages over the entire province.

He claimed that 3,171,726 acres of crops, 11,734 livestock, and almost 1.5 million residences had all been severely destroyed. He added that money was a must for his government in order to save, revitalize, and rebuild the destroyed areas.

The reappropriation of $57 million from World Bank-funded projects, including $27 million from CLICK, $8 million from agricultural programmes, and Rs22 billion from PDMA, was another proposal made by CM Murad.

He continued by saying that an additional $35 million, consisting of $25 million from KWSSIP and $10 million from the Select (Education) project, maybe re-appropriated for restoration work.

The chief minister’s suggestion was accepted by the World Bank country director, who also promised that the bank would quickly reappropriate the funds and offer to advise.

Chairman P&D Hassan Naqvi informed the audience of the damages to homes and stated that 1.5 million homes would be rebuilt to assist those who lost their homes in getting back on their feet. The chief minister claimed that the reconstruction of 1.5 million homes would result in the creation of jobs.

Sindh secures $92 million assistance from World Bank

Technologies that reduce climate risk will be implemented, according to a World Bank spokesperson. On the basis of a typical core unit, he proposed flood-resistant dwelling alternatives, for which beneficiaries and artisans would receive training.

According to the chief minister, it would cost at least $500 million to rebuild the destroyed homes. Najy Behhassine responded by saying that the bank will evaluate the damaged homes and then present their recommendations together with the provincial government’s request for approval in their board meeting.

The irrigation and drainage infrastructure needed $500 million in repairs, according to CM Murad, who also stated that his government was eager to resuscitate the agricultural industry.

The resurgence of the agricultural sector, according to the country head of the World Bank, is crucial for the provincial economy. He gave the chief minister his word that his staff would determine the extent of the harm and present the case to the provincial government their board for approval.