DLP Report
PESHAWAR
The Standing Committee on Irrigation of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Wednesday expressed serious concern over flood-related risks in Lower Chitral, where around 600 houses remain vulnerable, and directed authorities to take immediate preventive measures to avoid loss of life and property.
The meeting was held at the Assembly Secretariat under the chairmanship of Chairman Standing Committee and MPA Zarshad Khan. It was attended by committee members Muhammad Riaz, Iftikhar Ullah, Jan Sharafat Ali and Arifa Bibi, along with the Secretary Irrigation, officials of the Law Department, the Assistant Advocate General and relevant officers of the Assembly Secretariat.
The committee reviewed the performance and ongoing progress of the Irrigation Department in light of previous directives. Officials briefed the meeting on multiple technical and administrative matters, including the proposed replacement of a defunct transformer raised by MPA Zar Alam Khan and the solarization plan of the Kheshagi Lift Irrigation Scheme.
Officials informed the committee that the transformer in question, installed in 1952, operates entirely on electricity and cannot be converted to solar energy due to technical limitations, particularly the intermittent availability of solar power. They added that an additional transformer was available as a standby arrangement.
The committee was further informed that the tube-well project in Mustafa Karuna Naghzi Banda village of Takht Nusrati tehsil has not yet been shifted to solar energy due to non-payment of dues to the contractor. Officials said the contractor has now been directed to complete the work at the earliest.
Regarding the Baizai Irrigation Scheme, the committee was briefed that the project was completed in 2017 and includes 184 outlets and watercourses constructed across Mardan and Malakand districts. The scheme was currently supplying 200 cusecs of water, benefiting irrigation of approximately 25,000 acres of land.
On the issue of flood devastation in Chitral, members expressed concern over the precarious situation in Lower Chitral, where about 600 houses remain at risk. The committee directed the concerned departments to take urgent and effective precautionary measures to safeguard lives and property.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Chairman Zarshad Khan instructed the Irrigation Department to present detailed information in the next session regarding employees working on deputation as well as the number of vehicles in departmental use.
