PESHAWAR, Jan 16: An amount of Rs2.3 billion has been spent on 802 schemes — 95 per cent of which were water-related — in 14 drought-hit districts of the NWFP under the Drought Emergency Relief Assistance programme since 2001.

The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have jointly assisted the DERA programme launched in 2001 to mitigate the impact of drought in different parts of the country. The NWFP had been allocated 15 per cent share (Rs1,500 million) in the Rs10 billion fund fixed for the programme, but it received an enhanced amount of Rs2,122.515 million with donors’ share of Rs1,547 million. Sindh and Balochistan had received 30 per cent share each and Punjab had got 25 per cent share in the fund.

Asad Ali Khan, DERA’s project planning and implementation director, said that after completion of the first phase of the programme, 35,000 acres water storage facility had been created by constructing four medium size dams – Sharki and Changhoz dams in the Karak district which cost Rs396 million, Naryab dam in Hangu which cost Rs276 million, and the Kandar dam in Kohat which cost Rs65 million.

In the NWFP, the programme was implemented in Abbotabad, Buner, Bannu, Chitral, Dera Ismail Khan, Dir Lower, Dir Upper, Haripur, Hangu, Karak, Kohat, Kohistan, Lakki Marwat and Tank. A total of 462 schemes were related to water supply, 297 to irrigation and 42 to roads.

The DERA official said Ecnec and NEC had approved the second phase of the programme in October 2005. The NWFP had been allocated Rs3.8 billion for the five-year Rs30 billion plan, but due to shortage of funds, the province received Rs103 million in 2005-06 against Rs1,200 million, he added.

He said that nine to 10 dams would be built under DERA-II, and three of the projects were ready for implementation.

He said that cropping pattern in the Karak district had changed due to rise in water table and construction of the two dams, which had a positive impact on the socio-economic condition of local people. He said that 15,000 acres of barren lands in southern districts – 7,000 acres fell in Karak – were now being fed by the dams.—APP