Hub deputy commissioner holds open court in Dam, promises water supply to fishermen

WINDER: Hub Deputy Commissioner Jamadad Mandokhel has said that the basic problems of the fishermen of the coastal settlement of Dam will be resolved on a priority basis. He said residents of the coastal fishing settlements of Winder would be provided drinking water under BSDI schemes.

He was addressing an open court on the problems of the fishermen of Dam, a coastal settlement in Tehsil Winder Sonmiani. The deputy commissioner listened to the fishermen’s problems attentively and assured them that they would be resolved. He said their complaints would be inquired into. He ordered all contractors of the ongoing PSDP development projects and the departments concerned to submit a report at the DC Office on Monday.

The deputy commissioner said the administration would prepare a comprehensive plan in an organised manner on the problems that had been identified. He said schemes for a pumping station and new pipelines from the Winder Dam canal to the coastal settlement of Dam would be included in BSDI. He added that the basic problems of the residents of Dam Bandar, including the sewerage line, would be resolved.

Fishermen’s demands

The fishermen complained that schemes costing billions of rupees had been approved, but the poor fishermen associated with the fishing industry were deprived of the benefits of these projects. They demanded immediate, effective and indiscriminate action against trawlers illegally entering Balochistan’s territorial waters and launches engaged in illegal fishing.

Representatives of the fishermen, local elders and councillors said that protecting marine life and fish stocks was necessary not only for the fishermen but also for Balochistan’s economy and the future of coming generations. They said the seafood industry, which earns billions of rupees in foreign exchange for the national economy, lacked basic facilities, from boat building to seafood processing units. They said that if government institutions improved governance and curbed corruption, the fish industry could play a key role in stabilising the national economy.

The deputy commissioner assured the fishermen that, as an administrative officer, he would take action on these matters.

Photo: Courtesy DGPR Balochistan