ISLAMABAD, May 9: The Water and Power Development Authority has sought the services of the army to de-mine Dera Bugti district for the completion of the Kachhi Canal project on schedule. Sources told Dawn that Wapda Chairman Tariq Hamid had written a letter to the army’s engineer-in-chief, asking him to urgently provide support for de-mining Dera Bugti.

The canal passes through Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajan Pur, Dera Bugti, Nasirabad, Bolan and Jhal Magsi districts. The law and order situation, especially in Dera Bugti, was tense and landmines laid in the area by saboteurs posed a danger, the sources said.

Wapda officials feared that the project could be delayed if landmines were not removed and the law and order situation in Dera Bugti did not improve drastically, they said.

Work of alignment and survey for the canal in Dera Bugti stopped on Sept 26, 2004, due to entry restrictions imposed by the Sibi Scouts commandant in view of the law and order situation in the area.

Wapda officials took up the matter with the home secretary and Frontier Corps inspector-general but they were told that the project management should obtain army assistance to de-mine the area.

Wapda authorities said the alignment of the main canal had been completed in Nasirabad and Bolan districts but further survey was held up due to landmines and the law and order situation in Dera Bugti.

The sources said that the project, which was started in October 2002, was unlikely to be completed in June 2007 as per schedule without removal of landmines and restoration of law and order in Dera Bugti.