GILGIT, Oct 25: The Japanese government will grant Rs4.5m for construction of a water channel at Khudabad, upper Hunza.

The channel, after its completion, will irrigate over 1500kanals of barren land.

This was announced by a 4-member Japanese delegation that visited Khudabad and Nagar areas to examine various ongoing development projects undertaken by the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP), the other day in Hunza.

The funding for this project would be made through AKRSP, which would supervise the work on channel in collaboration with the community leaders, Dr Farman Ali, the regional program manager of AKRSP for Gilgit region said.

The Japanese delegation also lauded the development schemes executed by the AKRSP in Hunza, Nagar and Gojal valleys.—Correspondent