PESHAWAR, July 18: The NWFP government and Asian Development Bank (ADB) are holding talks to give final approval to a mega project aimed at increasing agriculture production of the province through construction of 20 small dams.

The project, costing an estimated Rs3,600 million, would irrigate 9,250 acres of land and enhance farm production and improve socio-economic condition of people in backward, rain-fed areas of the NWFP, said engineer Raqeeb Khan, Director General of Small Dams Organisation (SDO) while talking to APP.

The PC-1 of the project has already been approved by the Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) in its meeting held on May 21, and talks with ADB officials are in progress, he said.

The ADB, he said, would fund Rs2,790 million of the total cost while the remaining sum of Rs810 million would be arranged by the provincial government. About talks with the ADB, he said that Arbab Shezad, the provincial irrigation secretary, and other officials had briefed the country manager of the bank on July 1.

Later, a visiting mission of the ADB was also apprised of the project. The ADB mission demanded that a 'concept clearance' of the project be taken from the federal government after which approval would be granted.

The provincial government, he added, would submit this report to the federal government. Once the project is given green light by the federal government and the ADB, it would be put up for final approval before Ecnec (Executive Committee of National Economic Council) in its meeting next month.

The project will take five years to complete. The government has planned 19 storage and one delay action dam, he added. Feasibility studies of five dams proposed in the project have already been completed.

They are Barganatu dam in Bannu, Pail dam in Karak, Maroobi dam in Nowshera, Khair Bara dam in Haripur and Jaba Khattak dam in Nowshera, he said. The SDO has invited technical proposals from reputed firms for detailed design and construction supervision of these dams.

The department, he said, would also award feasibility of two dams - Zamir Gul and Rajoya in Kohat - by next week. On completion of these dams, 35,000 acre feet of storage will become available for irrigation of 79,250 acres.

The ground water, he said, will also be re-charged and utilized for drinking as well as for irrigation through installation of tubewells. The scheme will generate employment opportunities for a large number of people. The project is likely to improve the socio-economic condition of poor people residing in the water-deficient areas. -APP