By Muhammad Luqman
Pakistan’s water-starved South-Western province , Balochistan will soon have enough water for agricultural activities with the completion of Kacchi canal after a delay of atleast a decade.
“The construction of Kachhi Canal Project will finally be completed by third week of August followed by filling of water to test the main canal and its structure,” Pakistan’s Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) announced on Saturday.
The formal commissioning of Kachhi Canal is scheduled by end August 2017 with release of water into the distribution system for irrigation of 72000 acres of virgin land in Dera Bugti district of Balochistan province.
Kachhi Canal, started 15 years ago, was almost an abandoned project owing to certain reasons, gross cost overrun and long delays being the major contributing factors. However, the project was revitalized due to active support of the incumbent Federal Government and commitment of WAPDA team, WAPDA said.
Kachhi Canal project is of immense importance for development of water infrastructure and irrigated agriculture in Balochistan. Kachhi Canal Project is being completed with a cost of about Rs. 80 billion. The 363-Kilometer long main canal (out of which 351-Kilometer is lined canal) takes off from Taunsa Barrage in Muzaffar Garh district of Punjab province and ends at Dera Bugti district in Balochistan province. Discharge capacity of the main canal is 6000 cusecs. As many as 914 structures have been constructed at or over the main canal including head and cross regulators, road and railways bridges, cross drainage and escape structures and watercourse crossings.
