QUETTA, Oct 1: The federal government has increased the amount allocated for the Pat Feeder canal extension project from Rs2,243.71 million to Rs4.80 billion and ordered the officials concerned to start the extension work on the canal, official sources told APP on Sunday.

They said the canal would be extended 171 km from Rural Development (RD)-Zero to RD-558. With the completion of the project, the water-discharging capacity would be increased from 6,700 cusec to 8,560 cusec and an additional 200,000-acre barren land will be brought under cultivation.

Additional small sub-branches covering 174 km will be built for irrigating all command areas and additional areas. Besides, 67 km flood channel will also be constructed for flood protection and flood water storage, the sources added.

They said the Pat feeder canal is being built under the federal government development programmes in Nasirabad district. Survey for extension of the canal has been completed.

Referring to remodelling and relining of the Karther canal, the sources said that the work has been completed at a cost of Rs one billion, and added that all command areas were being irrigated through the canal and farmers receive water without any hindrance.

They said that the government was considering construction of “safety dams” from the Notal to the Rabi canal, adding that the construction of dams was aimed at protecting villages from flood water which came from Northern Balochistan and minimising the losses from floods in future.—APP