ISLAMABAD, April 4: The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) on Monday gave a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the construction of the Rs25.34 billion Chashma Right Bank Canal (lift-cum-gravity) project in the NWFP. An application for the NOC was submitted by the NWFP government under the 1991 Water Accord. The application was approved at an Irsa meeting presided over by its chairman Aman Gul Khattak, who represents the Frontier province in the authority.

The project would require about 1.187 million acres feet of water and bring 286,140 acres under cultivation. The project is part of Wapda’s vision-2025 plan.

The project is provided for in the Indus canal system in the water accord.

The NWFP government had informed Irsa that it was unable to utilize its water share under the water accord owing to a lack of infrastructure/canal system and the project would help in bringing more areas under cultivation.