PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government has planned Rs 7, 339.190 million project to lift water from River Kabul for Peshawar and Khyber districts to fulfil water requirements of the ever growing population.
Under Greater Water Gravity Project (GWGP), water would be lifted from River Kabul through Darra Shalman via Landi Kotal and later would be brought to Khyber and Peshawar in next two years. In first phase, over 29 towns and villages including Landi Kotal, Loi Shalman and Kashalman would be facilitated.
Officials of Public Health Engineering Department told reporter on Monday that feasibility studies (PC-I) of the mega project was completed and declared feasible by engineering water experts. Besides launching work on test bore and engineering designs, the official said this mega project on completion would help cater water requirements of tribal people for next 30-40 years.
The residents of 29 areas including Mukhtar Khel, Pero Khel, Shiekhwal Kheil, Ashaq Khel, Fatmi Khel, Zakaria Masjid, Changi, Salman Khel, Dormakhor, Ashkhel and Mirdad Khel would be directly benefited.
“It is a locally funded project having an allocation of Rs7, 339.190 million including Rs 200 million for current fiscal year and its ground-breaking is expected this year”, he told and added that in next phase, water supply pipes would be extended to Peshawar for provision of clean drinking water to people of posh Hayatabad and University Town. He said that the under construction Mohmand dam was another feasible technical project from where over 300 million gallons water (MGW) per day would be lifted to Peshawar.
The official said that a schemes worth Rs 3750 million was proposed for construction and solarisation of new drinking water and sanitation including gravity based schemes, Rs 2299.485 million for construction and rehabilitation of drinking water projects in merged districts, Rs 1060 million for rehabilitation and revitalization of existing drinking water supply schemes approved by Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) on November 19, 2020 and Rs66.696 million for surface flow and others perennial water bodies in merged areas under the Accelerated implementation Programme (AIP) approved by PDWP on October 29, 2020.
Moreover, feasibility study for water supply scheme to Ghalanai, headquarter of Mohmand district and its adjacent villages completed while work on engineering design started besides acceleration of work on drinking water scheme for Pindiyali, Ambar and Prang Ghar projects, the official told.
Similarly, he also told, the feasibility studies of Khawazai-Baizai water scheme has been completed and work on its engineering design expedited, he said, adding PC-I of these projects would be submitted to the relevant forums soon for approval.
He said the KP Government has proposed Rs 3000 million for conducting of feasibility studies, construction, rehabilitation and solarisation of drinking water schemes in merged areas out of which Rs 79.756 million were earmarked for current fiscal year.
He said Rs100 million were being spent on establishment of water quality testing and monitoring laboratories in three tribal districts amounting to Rs 100 million, Rs 163 million for rehabilitation of non- functional pumping and gravity based drinking water schemes in all seven tribal districts and Rs 435 million for solarisation of existing and construction of new solar based schemes in north tribal districts including Bajaur and Mohmand districts.
Under district program, he said that Rs 200 million would be spent on water supply schemes through solar system in Orakzai district, Rs 1500 million for Khawazai, Bazai and Pandyali water projects Mohmand and Rs 12 million proposed for construction of solar scheme at Kotka Juma Khan, Hussain Khel and Ali Khel in Lakki Marwat.