KOHAT, Sept 30: The Asian Development Bank has approved Rs 30 million for improvement of more than 200,000-feet-long irrigation channels from natural springs up to the fields for the benefit of farmers in remote areas under National Drainage Programme, 2004-2005.

Under the programme, 11 channels each would be improved in Hangu and Kohat districts, the regional executive engineer Malik Mazhar told Dawn on Thursday. He pointed out that there were about 65 damaged channels in the region but so far 1,300 feet had been improved and work on the 22 would be completed during 2005.

Similarly, 12 tube wells had been dug in Hangu and Kohat under the Drought Emergency Relief Assistance (DERA) programme 2003- 2004 and now the farmers would be able to operate them with the help of 48 HP diesel engines.

The diesel engines required for running the tube wells had been imported from China. Earlier, the farmers had to use tractors for pumping water but the government later realised that as the poor farmers had no tractors, therefore the areas where water was in shortage would be provided with diesel engines.

Mr Malik Mazhar informed that 90 per cent work on this project had already been completed and the engines would be installed by December. In reply to a question, the regional executive engineer said that PC-1 has been also prepared for similar projects for Karak district but the schemes were dropped because the water level was very low i.e. up to 600 feet below the surface.

The regional executive engineer, Malik Mazhar, said that the government would collect no tax like abyana from the farmers in these areas but the responsibility for the maintenance of engines and channel structure would be that of the local people.