Kundi says Chashma project to boost agriculture in DI Khan

PESHAWAR: Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Monday the Chashma Lift Bank Canal Project, upon completion, would help resolve the issue of the scarcity of water and boost agriculture in Dera Ismail Khan.

He said this while talking to a delegation of journalists from Dera Ismail Khan at the Governor’s House here, said a handout. Muhammad Saleem Qureshi and Chaudhry Asghar led the delegation.

Thanking the federal government for allocating funds for the execution of the project, the governor said that he always raised the issue of the Chashma Lift Bank Canal, which was a crucial irrigation project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said the project was designed to enhance agricultural productivity by diverting water from the Chashma Barrage to the arid land in Dera Ismail Khan. The governor said that the project involved lifting water from the barrage through a series of pumps and canals besides providing water to areas previously affected by water scarcity.

The project will help boost crop yields, support local farmers and contribute to the region’s overall economic development. Recent federal and provincial budget allocations reflected the project’s significance.

The governor emphasized that the development and prosperity of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were among his top priorities and called for efforts to ensure peace. He stressed the importance of the role of media in promoting peace, unity and tolerance.

He said a provincial council of political parties was being formed to negotiate with the federal government for the rights of the province. Meanwhile, Governor Kundi during a jirga with the Orakzai people led by Malik Iqbal Hussain said that the district was rich in natural resources.

He expressed concern over the security situation in the province and said that peace was a prerequisite for development and prosperity. The governor criticized the alleged misuse of funds allocated by the federal government for the tribal areas.

He pointed out that this mismanagement had led to growing dissent among tribal youth. The governor assured the jirga that he would spare no effort to resolve the issues facing the province and get its due rights. Earlier, the delegation presented the governor with a traditional Orakzai turban as a gesture of respect.