SWABI: The construction work on the much-awaited Pehur High Level Canal Extension Project, which is estimated to cost over Rs10 billion, would start soon, sources in the district irrigation department told Dawn on Monday.

They said the project would be financed by the Asian Development Bank, which had signed an agreement a year ago with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. The sources said the cost of the project had been increased due to prolong delay in its construction.

The project is aimed to increase irrigation intensities during the Rabi and Kharif seasons by improving water availability from new irrigation infrastructure attributable to the project, said the sources.

The farmers, especially those living in Chota Lahor arid region, had long been demanding execution of the project for sustainable supply of irrigation water to increase the irrigated land and their resources.

The sources said that irrigation facilities of the Pehur High Level Canal would be extended to bring arid land under canal command, and to turn the rain-fed areas into full irrigation for crop cultivation. When contacted, Abdul Karim, adviser to chief minister on industry who played key role in finalising the project, said when completed the project was expected to irrigate a total of 25,014 acres of arid land in various regions of the district.

ELECTION RESULTS WITHHELD: The election results of Tarbela Dam power station workers union have been withheld till the decision of National Industrial Relations Commission (NIRC), Peshawar, sources told Dawn on Monday. The Ladder and Chan Groups had contested the Sept 5 election.

When the election results were announced the Chand Group claimed to have won, but the Ladder Group rejected the results on the grounds that their one vote was not included in the counting.

When contacted, Chand Group leader Saifur Rehman said they had taken the case to All Pakistan Hydro Electric Workers Union, Lahore, which had issued a notification of their victory but the rival group had filed a case with NIRC, Peshawar. Hearing of the case is scheduled to be held on Oct 1, he said, adding the NIRC decision would be acceptable to both the groups.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2018