Government completes mega projects in five years

ISLAMABAD: The completion of the new Islamabad International Airport, which becomes operational next month, marks the fast pace conclusion of mega multibillion projects, facing abundant delays because of incompetence and negligence of successive governments.

The sad long story of the construction of the new airport demonstrating the ineptitude and absence of keenness of consecutive regimes is no different from the sagas that had surrounded the Lowari Tunnel, Neelum-Jhelum Hydro Power Project, Nandipur Power Project, Lyari Expressway and Kachhi Canal, which have been completed over the last five years.

The unparalleled dragging of work on these state-sponsored elephantine ventures are a sorry reflection on the performance of the past governments, which resulted in deep sufferings for the nation apart from the wastage of countless billions of rupees that had to be spent over and above the actual cost from the public exchequer. The national kitty would have come under more strain had these projects not been finished at the top speed.

Conceived many years ago, Pervez Musharraf had laid the foundation stone of the new airport on April 8, 2007. The construction work on the first-ever Greenfield airport of Pakistan went on at a snail’s pace during his remaining incumbency. The next Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government paid no attention to accelerate the work with the project trapped in red tape and alleged corruption.

As the present administration came in place in June 2013, the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif focused on its early wrapping up and paid more than one visit to it, urging its completion without any delay.

To facilitate the passengers going to and coming from the new airport, he sanctioned extension of Rawalpindi-Islamabad metro track to it. Construction work on the metro corridor continues to be in the top gear.

When Musharraf had laid the foundation stone, it was stated that the cost of the new airport would be around Rs30 billion. However, it is now crossing Rs100 billion for being behind schedule by several years with the cost having escalated manifold.

Originally conceived as a railway tunnel, construction on the Lowari Tunnel began in September 1975 after being inaugurated by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. However, less than a year later work was stopped in 1976 due to non-allocation of funds, which resumed in September 2005. It was initially expected to be completed by 2009 to convert it into a vehicle road tunnel.

The Lowari Tunnel is 8.75 kilometers long under the Lowari Pass of the Hindu Kush Mountains between Dir and Chitral. It essentially allows traffic on the N-45 national highway to bypass the Lowari Pass and reduces the 14-hour drive between Chitral and Peshawar to only seven hours. It facilitates all-weather transportation.

The timeline makes it clear that the project has been dragging during successive governments for decades with none being bothered about the inordinate delays. Finally, the present administration completed it.

The Neelum-Jhelum project was approved in 1989. It was intended to begin in 2002 and to be completed in 2008 but it experienced significant delays due to problems including rising costs. Additionally, the 2005 earthquake which devastated the region required a redesign to conform to more stringent seismic standards.

On 7 July 2007, the Chinese consortium CGGC-CMEC (Gezhouba Group and China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation) was offered a contract to construct the dam and power station. Terms were settled by the end of the year and in January 2008, the letter of commencement was issued.

With the tremendous pacing up the work on the project, it is now ready to produce electricity for inclusion in the national grid any time. Because of the delays, the cost has sky-rocketed with many billions of rupees.

The story of the Nandipur project is no different. It remained trapped in incompetence. A commission formed by the Supreme Court had concluded that the national exchequer suffered a loss of Rs120 billion due to various steps of the previous regime in relation of this project. Ultimately, the present government concluded it, and it is generating electricity according to its full capacity.

The first phase of the Kachhi project, stuck up since 2002, has also been concluded. It is a 363km long canal, out of which 281km is in Punjab and 80km is in Balochistan. It starts from Taunsa Barrage at Indus River. It provides sustainable irrigation water supply to 72,000 acres of agricultural land thus bringing green revolution in Balochistan. The water infrastructure and irrigated agriculture in Balochistan has achieved a landmark.

When work started on the Lyari Expressway in May 2002, it was stated that it would be completed in 30 months by November 2004. But it kept lingering. It was concluded a few months back.