ISLAMABAD, Nov 6: The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has finalized a plan to irrigate additional 286,140 acres of land at a cost of Rs25.3 billion.

Sources said that Wapda authorities have submitted a five-year plan "Chashma Right Bank Canal (lift-cum-gravity) project" to the Planning Commission for approval. The plan is aimed at substantially increasing agricultural production, particularly in the context of food security.

The World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) are expected to offer Rs8 billion for the project.

The implementation of the project would be done through a package of six construction contracts. The project would become the part of Wapda's 2025 Vision and be undertaken with a view to control the poverty growth.

The project was aimed at the betterment of socio-economic conditions particularly of the people living in the backward areas.

The project would have the provision of 1.18 MAF water for perennial irrigation of 286,140 acres of land through lift-cum-gravity canal system with head discharge of 2,613 cusecs. It would increase the cultivated areas (Kharif and Rabi) from 57,800 acres to 414,903 acres.

The Chashma Right Bank Canal (lift-cum-gravity) project is located in a piedmont flood plain of the hill torrents from Suleman range to debauch into River Indus. The Command area is located in north and east in the Dera Ismail Khan district of the NWFP. The distribution system command area lying between project's main canal and CRBC (gravity) comprises 25 distributaries along with 24 minors.

On-farm development of the proposed command area by constructing watercourses, land levelling and provision of standard infrastructure for 1,153 outlets is also included in the project.

The main canal, 73 canal miles long, will start from the pumping station delivery, flowing towards west for first eight miles, up to about one mile west of canal crossing of D. I. Khan-Pezu road. Then it turns toward south and flows almost parallel to the existing Chashma Right Bank (gravity) Canal. It passes east of Hatala, Kulachi, Draban, Chaudwan and Kiri Shamozai by about 4,6,10,9 and five miles, respectively. Tail of the Canal is at the NWFP/Punjab boundry.

To the west of Chashma Right Bank (gravity) Canal, there are vast tracts of potentially productive lands in D. I. Khan plains, which are uncultivated. These lands have remained barren through centuries except that about 20 per cent of the area could be cultivated by Rod-Kohi/hill torrents and Barani irrigation system in the absence of reliable perennial irrigation supplies.