CHITRAL - The first solar irrigation project was inaugurated at Khairabad Drosh area, some 45km from here. The project completed under the Sarhad Rural Support Programme was supported by European Union Programme for Economic Advancement and Community Empowerment.
SRSP Chief Executive Officer Shahzada Masoodul Mulk was the chief guest of inaugural ceremony held at Khairabad village. Addressing on the occasion, project Manager Muhammad Zahid said that it was the first solar irrigation project in KPK. He said that it was completed at a cost of Rs4.3 million, would benefit 240,000 people and irrigate 360 acres of barren land.
The speakers highly hailed the services of the SRSP in development of Chitral. Local elites of the area said that the people were totally deprived of potable and irrigation water. "There is a vast land but it remains barren despite the Chitral River flows from the region and we cannot benefit from the River water. Due to lack of electricity, it is not possible to install electrical water pump on the river," they said. They thanked the SRSP for launching the project as the barren land would be irrigated through the solar irrigation project. The water will be stored in water tank. Some 80,000 liters of water will be sucked through solar pumps and will be stored in the tank.
They said that the project would also be launched in other places of Chitral to irrigate land. The speakers said that there was only 2% cultivable land while project would extended to other parts of Chitral. It will bring green revolution to Chitral.
On the occasion, the local schoolchildren demanded construction of toilets in their school. The CEO approved and announced to start its construction work. Qaril Jamal Nasir, Haji Muhammad Hanif, Tariq Ahmad, MPA Sardar Hussain, MNA Shahzada Iftikharuddin.
, PTI leader Abdul Latif, Rahmat Ali Jafardost, Ihsanullah Khan and Khaleequz Zaman also spoke on the occasion. A large number of leaders of different parties, civil military officers, heads of line department, representatives of civil society and people belonging to all walks of life attended the opening ceremony.