Construction on Ghozhzai Dam costing Rs1.268 billion has started in FR (Frontier Region) Tank, said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Faisal Amin Gandapur on Thursday, reports WealthPK.

Gandapur said the KP government is building small dams in the southern districts of the province to control future floods besides providing water for agricultural and drinking purposes. He termed construction of dams indispensable for the country.

Construction on seven small irrigation dams and water reservoirs has already been initiated which would cost Rs9 billion. According to careful estimates, around 14,135 acres of barren land would be irrigated in the merged districts.

Gandapur said the current flood has exceeded the 2010 flood in terms of severity, deaths and damage to the infrastructure.

This year Dera Ismail Khan suffered a lot. According to the data, 61,000 acres of agricultural land has been damaged. Rescue activities are underway but the difficult phase of rehabilitation has yet to come.

The minister said Chashma Right Bank Lift Canal (CRBC) canal project would have to be completely restored for promotion of agricultural activities in the province, strengthening the province’s economy and generating more jobs.

Gandapur said the Pakistan Army and police helped the province a lot in rescue and relief operations adding that the military helicopter proved very beneficial.

The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) approved the CRBC project on June 7 this year. The project was conceived in 1992 and its first feasibility report was prepared in 1995. The KP government prepared the PC-1 in 2016 and the cost was estimated to be around Rs119 billion. The project cost has now increased to Rs244 billion.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk