PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Saturday expressed displeasure over the delay in the remodeling of the Warsak canal system in Peshawar and Nowshera districts and directed the relevant authorities to ensure the approval of the project’s revised PC-I by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council in its next meeting for the early completion of work.

He said the project was of vital importance for irrigating agricultural lands in Peshawar and Nowshera districts and its early completion was one of the top priorities of his government.

“All authorities concerned will have to fulfil their respective responsibilities to this end,” he said in a statement issued here on Saturday.

The chief minister said the completion of the project would strengthen the canal system in Peshawar and Nowshera and help irrigate thousands acres of additional land.

Asks authorities to ensure early approval of revised PC-I by Ecnec

He was chairing a meeting to review progress on the remodeling of the Warsak canal system project at the Chief Minister’s House, where principal secretary to the chief minister Amjad Ali Khan, irrigation secretary Tahir Orakzai and other relevant senior officials were in attendance.

The meeting was briefed about the progress on the project and was informed that under the project, a 5.2km tunnel was being constructed for the discharge of 700 cubic feet of water, including 300 cubic feet for drinking purposes.

The meeting was informed that the remodeling would increase the capacity of the Main Water Governance Centre from 550 cusecs to 950 cusecs.

Similarly, the capacity of the Warsak Gravity Canal will be increased from 350 cusecs to 456 cusecs and that of the Warsak Pump House from 200 cusecs to 290 cusecs.

Besides, the installation of four new pumps, improvement of main canal and lining are also part of the project under which, work is also under way on 132KV transmission line and grid station. The meeting was told that the government had released the required funds to Tesco for the purpose.

The revised PC-I of the project has been approved by the Central Development Working Party but its approval has yet to be sought from the Ecnec.

The participants were informed that significant funds had been allocated; 17 different packages had been prepared for the implementation of the remodeling project out of which nine packages had been completed; work was under way on five packages, and procurement of equipment under three packages was in progress.

The meeting was told that the rate of progress on the project was 65 per cent.

On the occasion, the chief minister said speedy progress on the project should be ensured by removing obstacles for its early completion. He asked the Pesco chief to expedite work on the installation of grid station and transmission line in that respect.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2021