PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa irrigation department has begun work on Rs44 billion worth of 59 projects, including the construction of seven small dams in tribal districts.

Briefing media about the ongoing projects in the irrigation sector, minister Arshad Ayub Khan said steps were being taken after the merger of Federally Administered Tribal Areas with KP in accordance with the manifesto of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

He said the office of the chief engineer (merged districts) had been set up, while the offices of the executive engineer had been established in every tribal district to streamline affairs in the area.

The minister said the objective of the establishment of district offices was the provision of services to the people on their doorstep, while the small dam section of the defunct Fata Development Authority had been linked with the planning director-general (small dams).

Work also begins on seven small dams in region

He said a significant portion of NFC Award funds had been allocated for the construction and development of integrated districts.

Mr Arshad said the completion of development work in tribal districts would bring prosperity.

He said Rs9 billion worth of 35 schemes were launched under the ADP, while 24 projects valuing Rs35 billion were launched under the Accelerated Implementation Programme.

The minister said the projects included Jabba Dam worth Rs10 billion, which would supply clean drinking water to one million people of Peshawar and Khyber districts.

He said the dam would have a storage capacity of 37,982-acre feet and would protect the Khyber valley from floods.

Mr Arshad said the storage capacity of Bara Dam would be 85,000-acre feet and it would generate six megawatts of electricity and irrigate 41,729 acres of land.

He said work had been launched on seven small dams.

The minister said the Warsak Lift Bank Canal Improvement and Construction Project was launched to irrigate 10,000 acres of land in Mohmand district and 44,772 acres of land in Khyber district, while remediation and expansion of the Bara River Canal System had also been begun.

He said work on 200 Chuck dams and water storage projects had begun for the irrigation of integrated districts, while 475 solar tubewell projects had been started to cultivate 12,000 acres of land.

Mr Arshad also said the department had initiated the construction and improvement of 420 irrigation channels to irrigate 25,000 acres of land.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2022