Kachhi Canal extension project nears completion
The Kachhi Canal Extension Project, currently being constructed by WAPDA in District Dera Bugti of Balochistan, is nearing completion and is expected to be finished in the next few months.
Upon completion, the project will provide irrigation to an additional 30,000 acres of land in the project area. As a result, the total command area of Kachhi Canal Phase-I will expand to 102,000 acres.
During a visit to the site, the project management team briefed Chairman WAPDA, Engr Lt Gen Sajjad Ghani (Retd), about the progress of the project.
General Manager (Central) and Project Director of the Kachhi Canal Project, Syed Ali Akhtar Shah, along with consultants and contractors, updated the chairman on the progress of the construction work on the 40-kilometer main lined canal, as well as the associated structures and the 32-kilometer water distribution system, has been completed except for a few remaining sites, which are expected to be finished in the near future.
Subsequently, the WAPDA chairman conducted a comprehensive inspection of the main canal, allied structures, and the distribution system. During his address, he emphasised the significance of the project in uplifting impoverished and remote areas of Balochistan by promoting irrigated agriculture and fostering an agro-based economy in the province. The chairman emphasised that the development of the command area is equally crucial to fully capitalise on the benefits of the Kachhi Canal Extension Project, and he expressed hope that the government of Balochistan would promptly undertake the necessary measures for its development.
The chairman was also briefed about the plan to restore the 363-kilometer main canal, which had been operational since 2017 but suffered damage in certain sections due to a devastating flood in August of the previous year. In response, the chairman instructed the project management to diligently work towards reinstating water flow in the main canal within the shortest possible timeframe, once the required funds are made available.
The WAPDA chairman also visited the Nai Gaj Dam to assess the progress of construction activities at various sites within the project, which included the main dam, main spillway, and intake structure.