Economic Infrastructure and Communications Jaffarabad

Introduction

The leading market for Jaffarabad district is Jacobabad. Additional market places are Larkana, Shikarpur and Sukkar. From Dera Allah Yar to Jacobabad is a 20 minute journey in public transport.

Roads

In this district, major cities and towns are linked with one another by metalled roads. The district, smaller in length compared to other districts of Nasirabad division, has comparatively better roads, although some of them need repair. In particular the road from Dera Allah Yar to Shoubatpur and Hairdin needs reconstruction.

 

 

 Type of Road

National Highway

Provincial Roads

District Council

Other Agencies

Total

Metalled (km)

15

365

0

0

380

Shingle (km)

73

 

0

0

73

Total (km)

88

365

0

0

453

Source:

Provincial Buildings and Roads Division, GoB, Quetta

 

There is a total of 380 kilometres of metalled roads. Out of it 15 kilometres comes under National Highways, and the rest under the B&R or C&W. There are roads in cities or villages in short length built by the MPA funds or Local government bodies, but information on the actual length is not available. The best road is from Jhatpat to Usta Mohammad. Metalled or black top roads are 4 to 6 meters wide.

Transport

There is an Excise and Taxation Officer for the districts Nasirabad and Jaffarabad at Jaffarabad. The registration includes private and government vehicles. The number of registered vehicles in the district is larger than in all other districts in Nasirabad division.

 

Type of Vehicle (Registered)

 1994-95

Car, Jeep,S.Van

243

Motor Cycle & Scooter / Ricksaw

731

Truck

167

Fuel Trucks

8

Buses

131

Taxis

0

Crane

1

Tractors

1062

Total

286

Source: Excise and Taxation Officer, Jaffarabad.

Rail- and Airways

The district has rail services from the grand railway route between Quetta and Jacobabad which links Balochistan with Punjab and Sindh. A total of 15 km of rail track passes through the district from Shahi police post (the border between Jaffarabad and Nasirabad district) to Saim Shaik. There is a railway station at Dera Allah Yar. It serves as the regular stop for passengers for all trains except the Quetta express that runs from Jacobabad to Quetta. The communication system extends to Jacobabad in south and Mangoli in the north. The arrival of a train to the station is indicated by the traditional Neil Block Token instrument adapted in 1932 by the British. The railways are operated by the Railway Division in Sukkar. Lower income groups prefer to travel by train, especially when carrying luggage. Travelling without a ticket is frequently done, especially to the nearby stations. Also, persons with a second class ticket enter other compartments until stopped by ticket collectors.

 

There is no airport in the district. The Fokker PIA service from Jacobabad to Karachi and other cities caters to the needs of the area. There is a PIA service by Boeing aircraft from Sukkar to other parts of the country. It takes about 1.5 hours of road journey from Dera Allah Yar to Sukkar. At the Cattle Farm there is a landing pad for helicopters.

Radio and Television

The TV broadcasts come through the TV booster in Shikarpur. No radio station or TV station exists in the district. However, the radio is seen as a major source of entertainment and information for the population of the district. TV sets are commonly indicated by the antennas even in remote villages where electricity reaches. There is a growing number of dish antennas, showing the number of houses where TV is watched. Even those from the lower and middle class in areas with electricity are eager to buy dish antennas. No records exist on the number of the TV sets in the district nor on the number of dish antennas, but it is generally observed that the number is growing rapidly. Showing satellite television programmes is also growing in restaurants. People sit for hours watching Indian TV and other programmes

Telecommunications

There is a telephone sub-division for the two districts of Nasirabad and Jaffarabad at D.M. Jamali. For the micro system there are three micro repeaters with towers of 60 meters at D.M. Jamali, Belpat and Lindsay. The telephone system operating through VHF facilitates connection of manual exchanges (OTC) at Shoubatpur, Bhanwar/Sanrhi and other stations. Dera Allah Yar and Usta Mohammad are linked with a direct dialing system.

Post Offices / Courier Services

The postal service in Jaffarabad is relatively well developed. There are six sub-post offices with regular services at Dera Allah Yar, Usta Mohammad, Shoubatpur, Manjipur, Kandaka and Bhanwar-Shanri. The total number of extra-departmental branches is 21of which 10 are located in Dera Allah Yar and 11 in Usta Mohammad. The sub-post offices have license renewal facilities. Urgent Mail Service (UMS) and Courier service facilities are not available within Jaffarabad. Those in need of these services go to the Jacobabad.

Banking/Financial Institutions

There are 8 bank branches in the district. All are situated in Dera Allah Yar and Usta Mohammad. There are two branches of the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), one of Habib Bank, two of the United Bank Limited (UBL), one of the Municipal Commercial Bank, and 2 of Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan (ADBP). The ADBP and NBP are government owned banks. The ADBP is designed for credit to farmers for agricultural purposes. The government transaction is done largely through the NBP.

Electricity and Gas

 

Electricity in the district is transmitted from Giddu and sas from Sui. There are grids in Usta Mohammad (66 KV), Dera Murad Jamali (66 KV), and Rojhan Jamali (66 KV). There are two transformers in Jaffarabad of 6 MVA and 5 MVA. Electricity supply to some of the areas of the district is provided from the grid in Usta Mohammad which has the largest ampere capacity (500). A new grid at Jhall Magsi can provide electricity to some of the areas of Jaffarabad in future. The two districts of Nasirabad and Jaffarabad for the most part come under one Electricity Sub-Division at D.M.Jamali. The one at Usta Mohammad caters for Tamboo area in Nasirabad.

 

From January 1992 to November 1996, a total of 89 villages have been electrified by WAPDA in Jaffarabad district, which indicates that 76 percent of the inhabited area in Jaffarabad district is connected to electricity. However, as there is confusion on the definition of what a village is, statistics indicate an electrification rate varying from 14% to 76%. Considering the number of connections (see table below) related to the average household size of 7.1, not even 10% of the population has access to electricity

 

Electricity Connections (March 1996)

Sohbatpur old*

1,527

Mir Hassan

1,770

Jhatpat old*

305

Usta Mohammad*

1,908

Total

5,205

 

*Jhatpat old and Sohbatpur old feeders supply to areas in Nasirabad and Jaffarabad. The Usta Mohammad supplies power to both Jaffarabad and Nasirabad district. If a separate total of the connections within the district boundary is taken then in Jaffarabad the total account for 6,145 domestic and 473 commercial (estimate).

 

The gas supply in Jaffarabad district is mainly to Dera Allah Yar, Usta Mohammad, and Shoubatpur.

 

Stations

Total Connections

Domestic Connections

Commercial Connections

Length of Main Pipe line

D.A. Yar

1020

1015

5

33.1

Usta Mohammad

1450

1438

12

141.7

Rest Houses

There are a few rest/guest houses in the district. There are two guest houses at Dera Allah Yar (DAY), one operated by B&R and the other by Local Government (newly renovated). There is an Irrigation guest house, built in 1923, at Usta Mohammad and one at Hairdin near the canal. There is one irrigation guest house in Bagh head.

 

The B&R guest house at Dera Allah Yar is the best facilitated and properly furnished one. The one at Hairdin is good for adventure. There is also a rest house on the highway meant for Chinese working in the district. It is known as the China Camp. Those visiting the Dera Allah Yar city are better off at Jacobabad as a number of nice hotels are found there.

 

Department

Location

B&R division

D.A. Yar

Irrigation

Usta. Moham.

Irrigation

Bagh Head

Irrigation

Hairdin

Loc. Government

D.A. Yar

GO/NGO/Private Enterprise, etc. involvement in Energy, Transport and Communications Development

Coverage Economic Infrastructure Services

Local Govt.

Prov. Govt.

Fed. Govt.

 NGO

Internat. Donor

Private Entr.

Road works

-

xxx

Xxx

-

-

-

Transport (buses)

-

xx

-

-

-

xx

Railway

-

-

Xxx

-

-

 

Radio & Television

-

-

Xx

-

-

-

Banking/Financial Institutions

-

xx

Xx

-

-

-

Electricity

-

-

Xxx

-

-

-

Gas

-

-

Xxx

-

-

x

Rest houses

-

xxx

Xxx

-

-

-

Legend:

-

x

xx

xxx

no involvement

minor involvement

substantial involvement

major involvement

Conclusion and major Development Issues

The transport system in the district has improved. However, it needs more development as the condition of roads is worsening in the east of the district. The shingle roads need to be replaced by black top as they are impassable in rainy season.

 

Because of the small size of the district, travelling through the district is not time consuming nor troublesome. Minibus and bus services are available from dawn to dusk. Travelling is less common in late night hours because of the law and order situation off the highways.

 The lower and middle class people prefer railways as it is the cheapest means of transport particularly when travelling with luggage.

 Gas is not supplied to every large village. Demand exists for the provision of gas in villages such as Kandaka, Bhanwar etc. The provision of gas, however, is not given priority.

 Seventy six percent of the area of the district is connected to electricity, but the number of connections suggests that less than 10% of the population indeed have access to electricity.

 

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