Herald Report
Islamabad: Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) government is working on a proposal to control land erosion in three towns by cascading banks of main rivers meandering through the capital towns of three districts.
A Chinese firm has shown interest in the project and negotiations are in the final stages to ink an agreement with the company, Chief Minister Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman told The High Asia Herald here the other day.
Under the project, a 9km stretch of Gilgit city, 5km of Skardu and 4km of Gahkuch town will be protected from erosion and encroachment by lining the river beds and banks with concrete and gravel, he said.
“The project will cost Rs7 billion and be executed without spending a single penny from the GB’s exchequer,” he said.
The company will bear all the cost in lieu of gold dust extracted from the sand of the three rivers, the CM said.
The project aims at reclaiming hundreds of acres on both sides of the Ghizer, Gilgit, and Skardu rivers as well as preventing encroachment, pollution and flooding of settlements near the rivers, he said.
Flood waters in the summer, especially during monsoon season cause land erosion and destroy orchards and structures in the capital towns of the three districts. Almost half of the Gahkuch town has been turned into a delta of the geezer river, the chief minister said.
When the floodwater recedes, people encroach on the river banks and excavate sand and gravel reducing the watercourse. In monsoon the rivers swell, changes their courses break their banks and enter settlements, fields, and orchards, the CM said.
“We can prevent land erosion and flooding in these cities by cascading the river beds and turning their banks into tourist spots,” the CM suggested, adding the rivers will be used for boating and rafting.
After completion of the three cities, the project will be extended to more towns in Gilgit-Baltistan in the next phase, CM Hafeez said.