LOWER DIR: The prolonged closure of the Balambat irrigation channel since 2022 has triggered mounting concern among farmers and residents in Lower Dir, as the vital waterway remains under reconstruction for a third consecutive year.

Initially built during the MMA government at a cost of Rs757.5 million, the 76-kilometre canal was designed to irrigate approximately 11,363 acres of farmland across several areas, including Khall, Koto, Balambat, Manogi, Khaima, Khazana and Makhai. The channel has played a key role in boosting agriculture in the region. However, its continued closure has rendered vast tracts of farmland barren, dried up springs and wells, and forced residents to rely on water tankers for domestic use.

Taking notice of public complaints, deputy commissioner Mohammad Arif Khan, along with irrigation officials, visited the canal in August last year to inspect ongoing repair and extension work in Khall, Akhagram, and Sacha Bela areas.

He directed the department concerned to speed up the construction process by deploying more equipment and manpower.

Officials say expanded canal to help boost fruit, grain production

Farmers took a sigh of relief in March this year when water was temporarily released into some parts of the canal for the first time in three years.

According to Shahid Ali Khan, executive engineer of the irrigation department, progress was delayed due to flood-induced blockages near Akhagram head. He assured that the final phase of the project would soon be completed, allowing water from the Panjkora River to flow fully through the system, enhancing irrigation facilities for thousands of farmers.

Frustration among the farmers over the government’s inaction has been steadily growing. During a recent visit to the canal site in Manogi, former Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq warned that if the channel was not restored immediately, the party would mobilise local farmers and their families for protest demonstrations.

He accused the PTI-led provincial government of neglecting essential development projects and failing to complete even ongoing schemes in the district.

An official from the Lower Dir irrigation department told Dawn that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government approved Rs730 million in 2022 for the canal’s reconstruction and extension.

The project aims to extend the canal by an additional 10 kilometres, eventually irrigating 17,000 acres of land across Khall, Odigram, Balambat, Hajiabad, Khazana, and Munda. Officials believe the expanded network will significantly boost fruit, vegetable, and grain production in the region.

The affected farmers have been demanding early completion and restoration of the channel, threatening to take to streets if the channel was not restored this summer.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2025