PESHAWAR - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Chief Minister Mahmood
Khan has directed to ensure the construction
of water courses in Gomal Zam Dam Command
Area within stipulated
timeline further directing for plantation along
canal sites so as to prevent soil erosion in the
adjoining areas.
He said that with the
completion of 462 water courses of GZD Command Area Development
will add nearly 200,000-
acre agriculture land and
will significantly increase
agriculture production in
the regions of Tank, Kulachi and D.I.Khan districts. He further stated
that with the completion
of GZD project, the province will become self-sufficient in wheat production.
The chief minister appreciated the concerned
authorities over the
completion of 105 water courses under the
command area development programme of Gomal Zam Dam project. He
said that no stone will be
left unturned for the early completion of Gomal
Zam Dam project and all
possible resources and
support would be provided according to revised
PC-1 on priority basis.
He was presiding over
a progress review meeting regarding the command area development
programme of Gomal
Zam Dam Project at Chief
Minister Secretariat Peshawar. The meeting was
attended by Minister Environment Ishtiaq Urmar,
Advisor to CM on Energy
Hamayatullah, Principal
Secretary to CM, Secretary
Agriculture Muhammad
Israr, Secretary Irrigation,
Chief Engineer Irrigation,
Project Director Gomal
Zam Dam Muhammad
Zubair and others.
The meeting was
briefed in detail on Gomal Zam Dam Command
Area Development Programme and the progress
made so far.
The meeting was informed that total cost of
the project is Rs3337.6
million out of which
foreign assistance is
Rs2200.8 million, while
share of the provincial
government is Rs489.51
million in cash. Similarly, the share of farmer is
Rs462.48 million.
It was further told that
with the completion of
GZD project will add approximately 200,000-
acre cultivable additional land.
The project will also
save Rs80 million annually by reducing flood
losses. The GZD is having
the capacity to generate
17.4MW electricity.
The meeting was further informed that the
GZD has been established in Kajuri Kach area
of South Waziristan and
river Gomal and Zoab
are the main sources of
this project. The height of
the dam is 437 feet while
the main canal is 60km
long and length of all the
distributaries is 36km.
The total storage capacity of the dam is around
11,40,000-acre feet.
Moreover, the Command
Area is near 200,000-acre,
which includes 28,000-
acre command area of
Waran Canal.
The meeting was informed that in the revised PC-1, the number of water courses has
been increased to 462
out of which 105 water courses have already
been completed, while
75 per cent of construction work on the remaining has been done.
The meeting was also
briefed on various MoUs
regarding increased productivity of agriculture
and livestock.
It was told that production capacity in agriculture sector and livestock
has also been increased
by breeding and vaccination in District D.I.
Khan, Kulachi and Tank.
The meeting was told
that Rs3373.6 million
have been earmarked for
PC-1 of the project out of
which Rs783.94 million
were released in which
Rs694.01 million have
been utilised.
The meeting was informed that development of water courses
and command area of
Gomal Zam Dam would
significantly reduce
flood losses. It was further told that the GZD
Command Area Development Programme
will unlock the potential of GZD irrigation
system.
On the occasion, the
chief minister said that
rapid completion of GZD
Command Area Development Programme will
be made possible, which
will further improve the
capacity of agriculture
and livestock productivity in the province and
will make the province
largest producer of agriculture product. He asserted that the provincial government would
provide all possible assistance for the early
completion of command
area development programme of GZD.