Soil erosion causes huge losses to farmers
Local farmers suffered heavy losses every year as flood water washed away a vast portion of fertile land in the catchment areas of River Kurram and its violent tributaries, apart from posing a threat to a number of villages, standing crops and farm forests.
Though no official data is compiled about soil erosion and damage caused by floods in Kurram valley bordering Afghanistan, farmers said they suffered huge losses over the years due to soil erosion. Due to the absence of protective embankments the river has been enhancing its width every year and many families have shifted to safer places.
Flash floods cause extensive erosions in catchment areas both in upper and lower Kurram tehsils which also damage irrigation channels in peak season. In many areas local population had been forced to evacuate their houses. Few years back the defunct Fata Development Corporation constructed flood protection walls and bunds to protect people living on both sides of the river and the agricultural land.
During a visit to the area, local farmers and officials told Dawn that both the yield and the agricultural land area could be increased if the government adopted flood management steps.
They said in early 1980s the Fata Development Corporation conducted a survey to construct flood protection walls along the river banks, but the government had yet to execute schemes.
River Kurram basin is very fertile which produces wheat, rice, barely, groundnuts and grows many verities of vegetables. In upper and lower Kurram, cultivated area is around 45,000 acres.
According to the NWFP Bureau of Statistics 2001-2002 report, Kurram Agency produced 12,931 tons of wheat, 1,015 tons of barley, 11,324 tons of maize and 9,190 tons of rice.
The government officials told Dawn that recently a report had been submitted to the government which requested release of funds for the flood management schemes in the agency. The flood protection schemes roughly required around $100 million, according to official figures.
The officials said the federal government released nominal funds for flood protection schemes in Fata. A senior official of the Governor Fata Secretariat in Peshawar Amir Ghulam said the federal government under its flood management and hill torrent programme released only Rs3 million in the current budget for flood protection schemes in the entire tribal areas, which was absolutely inadequate.
Mr Ghulam said the government had planned projects for flood management in Kurram, Wana, Touchi and Seko basins and funds would be allocated in the next annual development programme.
The officials said a prospective planning for construction of small dams with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank would help control flash floods in Fata. The bank has pledged to provide $40 million for the construction of 12 small dams.