PESHAWAR, Feb 7: The mega Shalman water supply project will facilitate the total population of 78,000 of Landi Kotal, Khyber Agency, by providing 3.3 million gallons of potable water at a rate of 20 gallons per capita per day up to the year 2030.

According to the feasibility study carried out by the communication and works division Jamrud, Khyber Agency, the total cost of the gigantic Shalman project is estimated to be Rs281.5 million and the annual recurring expenditure after completion has been estimated at Rs38.8 million. The project will take four years to complete.

NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah is taking personal interest in the execution of the project which could be gauged from his instructions and directives issued to the concerned department from time to time.

The NWFP governor chaired a number of meetings and briefings to this effect during last few months wherein he assured the executing agency of his full help and assistance. The federal government will provide funding for the implementation of the project.

Mr Iftikhar Shah wants early execution of the project in order to provide clean drinking water to the people of Landi Kotal, an official in the public health engineering department told APP.

MNA Noorul Haq Qadri and Senator Abdul Malik from Landi Kotal have also taken up this project at the floor of the National Assembly and the Senate.

The SDO of the Public Health Engineering Department Jamrud, Khyber Agency, Qaisar Zaman, who is working on the project, said the department was ready for the execution of the Shalman water supply project. The Association of Engineering Services Consultants and the Gulf Consulting Associates had been asked to provide comprehensive consultancy services and they were mobilized to this effect since June 22, 2003, Mr Zaman added.

According to the feasibility study, there is acute shortage of potable water in the Khyber Agency as the Landi Kotal city is getting 250,000 gallons against present requirement of 1,500,000 gallons. At present, there are three tubewells of which two have gone dry while the one at Khyber Rifles is supplying water to the inhabitants of the area.

The prime reason is the non-availability of reliable economical source of water. However, with the drying of major source of water at Ali Masjid the shortage of water has become acute, the study adds.

Kabul river is the only potential source which could meet the present and future requirements of water for Landi Kotal and could be tapped at two places, Shalman Banda and Shahid Mena. The World Health Organization standards for drinking water would be used for the quality of water to be supplied from the new source. Three samples have been collected from Kabul river and were found suitable for drinking after laboratory tests.-APP