The NWFP government on Thursday approved Rs 25.34 billion Chashma First Lift Irrigation Project that will irrigate 285,644 acres of barren land. The mega project was cleared during a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani at Chief Minister's Secretariat, Peshawar. Those attended the meeting included Provincial Minister for Irrigation Hafiz Akhtar Ali, Chief Secretary Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi, Additional Chief Secretary Mir Liaq Shah, Secretaries Finance, P&D, Irrigation, Malik Saeed, member planning commission of Pakistan, Chairman IRSA Islamabad, Chief Water Planning Commission, Islamabad and Chief Engineer (P&I) Wapda Lahore.
In his remarks, the chief minister said that the project would prove a landmark in the agriculture sector development of the Frontier province.
He said that the provincial government would request the federal government to bear the repair and maintenance (R&M) cost of the project because of the resource crunch and financial inability.
However, if the bearing out of Rs 370 million R &M cost becomes an excuse then the Frontier government would bear the annual cost. His government cannot afford to see the project going to the shelves.
It will play a central role in the socio-economic prosperity of the province, the chief minister believed.
The chief minister said successive governments failed to prepare PC-I of projects during the last 14 years since 1991 Water Apportionment Accord to utilise the water share of the province.
Frontier needed necessary infrastructure for the exploitation of its share of water under the water apportionment accord.
The chief minister pointed out that other provinces had been using the water share of the NWFP because there had been no proper canal system and infrastructure. The matter had been taken up at the highest level to get some sort of compensation for our water flowing to other provinces, he added.
"I was taken aback by the harsh reality that developmental exercises either needed or not, had been going on in other provinces and there was no to the flow of resources when it comes to Frontier case.
"This is ironic," he added. He said that all the provinces needed fair treatment to remove the backwardness and sense of deprivation. This would bring the backward provinces to feel secure.
The chief minister said that his government has taken upon itself to fight to secure the rights of the province. On water sources, he vehemently stated that the government would go to any extent to secure what it had as its rights on water projects.
Regarding the height of the Chashma First Lift Irrigation scheme, the chief minister stated that there were certain lift irrigation schemes in other countries, which have few times more height than the Chashma First Lift Canal.
He admitted that the cost of the project was high but it should be realised that the return of the project was 16 times more. The donors have been giving green signals for various projects in the Frontier province but the guarantee that should the federal government give was a real problem.
He said the provincial government was going all out to cut down its non-developmental expenditures and generate revenues to bear out the O&M cost of Chashma Lift Bank Canal; if the federal government backs out to bear it.
He said that irrigation has been identified as the base for the economic development. It would create jobs and increase production and would lead the province towards self-sufficiency in food and would fulfil the needs of neighbouring province as well as the country.
He hoped that his government would succeed to provide resources for projects that would bring perennial earning and ensure economic development.
The chief minister said that in future First Lift Irrigation scheme would be the source of constant development; therefore, his government would go whole hog to utilise its water resources through its own fiscal space.
Durrani asked the provincial government officials to present the government's opinion at meetings at federal level. It's a democratic government taking all matters through a participatory approach for the benefit of the province.
The chief minister said that the boost of agriculture and livestock through provision of irrigation water would create jobs and lead to economic prosperity. However, he called upon the experts to plan such cash crops that can be grown with minimum water.
He directed the officials to adopt easy way for the implementation of the Chashma First Lift Irrigation scheme.
"We want to spend on irrigation to produce wheat and other crops otherwise the story of subsidy to flour mills might be repeated," he said and adding that it was unfortunate to see constant spending of resources without proper direction.
Despite all that we are back to square one that is not acceptable we would lift our own water share and the apprehensions and fears for access water are misplaced, he maintained.
The chief minister clarified that 20 small dams and Tank Zam have been cleared and the news item appeared in a newspaper about it was baseless. It had been approved by the PWP and the news about it can be the brainchild of some one, he added.
He said that the projects for the utilisation of water resources were the real poverty reduction ones that would be a key to all our problems.
Earlier, detailed briefing was given about the Chashma First Lift Bank Canal.