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11 February 2005
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Friday
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01 Muharram 1426
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Japan bank to fund Lower Chenab remodelling
By Our Staff Reporter
LAHORE, Feb 10: The Japan Bank for International Cooperation has agreed to finance remodelling of Lower Chenab Canal (East) at a cost of Rs4 billion and expressed its willingness to foot bill
for one new barrage and remodelling of three more canals.
According to Punjab Irrigation Minister Aamer Sultan Cheema, the bank team, which is currently visiting different projects, met him and expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work at the canal.
The bank team has also shown its willingness to finance a new barrage at Khanki and restoration of Balloki headworks is in addition to remodelling of Lower Jhelum and Lower Bari Doab canals.
Mr Cheema said Khanki barrage has outlived its stipulated life and a new barrage was required there immediately. The Punjab government was also carrying out feasibility studies of small dams to meeting water requirements, he added.
The delegation claimed that though bank was ready to finance many projects, but it would prefer projects whose feasibility studies have already been completed and were ready for execution.
The minister agreed to share details of all such projects with the bank. Meanwhile, Punjab Power Minister Armaghan Subhani said though the province was building gas, coal and water driven power projects to meet energy requirements, it needed big project like Kalabagh dam to overcome electricity shortage.
According to a departmental press release, he was presiding over a meeting on energy requirements of the province. "If more energy resources are not created, the country would face up to 12 hours' loadshedding in next 10 years. No new dam was built during the last 35 years and the country is now facing the consequences. The Punjab government is lining watercourses to save millions of acres of water. But all these steps would not mitigate energy crisis unless a big reservoir is built," he said.
The department would start constructing small dams and it has already completed feasibility and other formalities for these projects.
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