ISLAMABAD: The government Friday presented the details of ML-1 project from Karachi to Peshawar with a cost of USD6.678 billion.
In a written reply to a question from Sharmila Farooqui during the question hour in the National Assembly, Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi said the re-modified PC-I of ML-I Project had been approved by the Ecnec on 09-07-2024 at a cost of $6.678 billion.
Furthermore, during a high level meeting between Chinese premier and prime minister of Pakistan, both leaders agreed to build Karachi-Hyderabad Section of ML-l project on pilot basis.
Accordingly, draft Financing Commitment Agreement (FCA) approved by Cabinet Division has been shared with NRA, China on which response is still awaited.
Furthermore, during the Joint Working Group meeting, the Chinese side expressed its readiness to dispatch a technical working group to Pakistan in due course, so that the two sides could work together to further optimize the construction scheme of the package-I; however, the visit is still pending from the Chinese side.
To expedite the progress, minister for planning, development & special initiatives along with Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Communications and Ministry of Economic Affairs has actively engaged with all relevant forums to urge the early deployment of Chinese technical and financial expert teams. Despite these efforts, response from the Chinese side remains pending.
The upgradation of ML-l at a rationalized cost of 6.678 Billion Dollar is based on the adjusted design by the Chinese consultant, where the design speed has been kept same as in original design i.e. 160kmph from Karachi to Lalamusa and 120kmph from Lalamusa to Peshawar.
However, the operational speed will be 160kmph from Karachi to Hyderabad, 120kmph form Hyderabad to Lalamusa and I00kmph from Lalamusa to Peshawar except Kaluwal-Pindora realignment section.
Grade separation of level crossings (overhead bridge, underpass) and complete fencing are included only in Karachi-Hyderabad and Kaluwal Pindora sections. Whereas, operating speed has been kept at 120kmph and I00kmph in the sections where grade separation and fencing of track have not been included.
The speed can be raised in future to 160kmph from Hyderabad to Lalamusa and I20kmph from Lalamusa to Peshawar by providing grade separation of level crossings and fencing.
The finalization of financial modalities and securing of 850/o Chinese concessional financing for the ML-l project under the CPEC framework is contingent upon the convening of the Joint Financing Committee (JFC) meeting.
The minister for planning, development & special initiatives, in coordination with the Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Economic Affairs has made sustained efforts through all relevant diplomatic and technical channels to urge the early convening of the JFC to finalize the financial modalities.
Despite these proactive engagements, a formal response from the Chinese side is still awaited.
Additionally, a draft Financing Commitment Agreement (FCA) duly approved by the cabinet has already been shared with the National Railway Administration QIIRA), China to facilitate the next steps in the financial closure process. A response to this communication is also pending.
While in another written reply to a question of Sharmila Faroqui with regard to the worsening water crisis, which is evident from the Tarbela and Mangla Dams reaching dead storage levels, a 50% reduction in water supply to Sindh and projected significant shortfall in the water system during the summer months, the Ministry of Water Resources stated that the storages at Tarbela and Mangla Reservoirs reach dead levels in the month of March being a routine phenomenon and water requirement is met against the rivers inflows.
The Irsa Advisory Committee (lAC), having representation from all the provincial irrigation and agriculture departments, Wapda and Pakistan Metrological Department, during its meeting held on March 26, 2025, decided 43% shortfall for the month of April 2025, taking into account the anticipated water availability.
To address the challenges posed by water shortages and to enhance water resource management and infrastructure, the federal government through the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) is actively financing the construction of small, medium, and large dams across the country.
However, with improved inflows of the rivers, storage levels in Tarbela and Mangla Dam have increased considerably and resulted in a gradual decrease of shortages for Early Kharif (April 1 to June 10,2025) from 43%o to 27%o, as reviewed and approved by IAC on 05-05-2025.
Owing to the improved water situation, the Irsa has started releasing the indented water supplies to the provinces from 01-05-2025.
To address the challenges posed by water shortages and to enhance water resource management and infrastructure, the federal government through the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) is actively financing the construction of small, medium, and large dams across the country.
Currently, the federal government is sponsoring 32 dam projects at various stages of development, with a total cost of Rs1,056.985 billion.
Upon completion, these projects will provide a cumulative storage capacity of approximately 8,429,288 acre-feet, bringing 436,932 acres of new land under irrigation.
Among these, Diamer-Bhasha Dam alone will store 6.4 million acre-feet water.
This will significantly enhance irrigation supplies to the existing 45 million acres of land currently irrigated by the Indus Basin Irrigation System.
In addition, the provincial governments are sponsoring the construction of seventy-nine (79) dam projects at an estimated cost of Rs83.400 billion.
These projects, currently at different stages of implementation will collectively provide a storage capacity of approximately 377,940 acre-feet once completed, bringing 109,966 acres of new land under irrigation.
