Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Accelerate Chashma Right Bank Lift Canal Project

Peshawar, Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sardar Ali Amin Khan Gandapur chaired a critical meeting at Pakhtunkhwa House Islamabad, focusing on advancing the Chashma Right Bank Lift Canal Project, with plans to issue the project tender by July this year.

According to Directorate General Information and PRs – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the meeting convened senior officials from provincial and federal departments, where it was decided that the project will proceed as planned, with 65 percent of the funding provided by the federal government and 35 percent by the provincial government. An allocation of 20 billion rupees for the project has been included in the development program for the upcoming financial year, and an additional 10 billion rupees have been promised by the federal government in the next year’s Public Sector Development Program (PSDP).

The project, crucial for transforming 286,000 acres of barren land into arable land through irrigation, is seen as vital for the food security of the province and the country. Chief Minister Gandapur highlighted the project’s significance for utilizing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s full water share and its potential economic benefits. He also instructed that discussions be initiated with WAPDA for the transfer of the CRBC Main Canal to provincial control.

Furthermore, a new initiative to irrigate an additional 90,000 acres in the southern districts was approved, with immediate commencement directed by the Chief Minister, emphasizing the urgency of enhancing agricultural productivity and regional development.