CRBC Canal Restoration Set to Begin Next Week as Authorities Fast-Track Rehabilitation

Staff Report 

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Hope for an early restoration of water supply and irrigation has emerged in areas affected by the breach of the Chashma Right Bank Canal (CRBC), with authorities accelerating arrangements for the repair and rehabilitation of the damaged sections and expecting practical restoration work to begin next week.

Commissioner Dera Ismail Khan Division Daud Khan held an important meeting with Chief Engineer South of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Irrigation Department at his office to review progress and arrangements for the restoration of the CRBC canal. Irrigation officials and Assistant to Commissioner Sajjad Baloch also attended the meeting.

The meeting focused on restoration of the canal, repair of sections damaged by the breach, ongoing and proposed rehabilitation measures and other related matters. The participants also discussed issues being faced in the rehabilitation process and measures required to ensure that restoration work moves forward without unnecessary delay.

Commissioner Daud Khan stressed the importance of early rehabilitation of the CRBC canal and discussed with the concerned officials the progress made so far, the measures required and the future course of action for completing the restoration work.

Earlier, a meeting chaired by Deputy Commissioner Dera Ismail Khan Hikmatullah was held in view of the disruption caused by the CRBC canal breach. The meeting was attended by the Chief Engineers of CRBC, WAPDA and the Irrigation Department, Additional Deputy Commissioner Finance and Planning Dera Ismail Khan, Assistant Commissioner Dera Ismail Khan, Assistant Commissioner Paharpur and Executive Engineer Irrigation Paharpur.

The meeting directed all concerned departments to complete the restoration and construction work on an emergency basis so that the difficulties being faced by residents and farmers could be addressed at the earliest.

The WAPDA authorities were specifically directed to finalize the project estimate and submit it to the Deputy Commissioner immediately to enable further proceedings to be initiated without delay. The authorities said that, keeping in view the importance of the project, approval had already been obtained from the relevant forum, enabling the work to be expedited without going through lengthy routine administrative procedures.

The meeting was informed that the necessary technical work relating to the canal survey, design and water source had also been completed. As a result, no major technical or field-level hurdle remained for commencement of the construction work, the officials said.

The authorities further said that formal invitations would be issued within the next two to three days to reputable and major construction companies registered with WAPDA. Their bids and proposals would be evaluated, following which the contractor would be finalized on Monday and the work formally entrusted to the selected contractor.

The officials said that after approval by the WAPDA chairman and release of the required funds by the provincial government, practical construction work on the CRBC canal would formally commence next week.

The authorities expressed the hope that accelerated rehabilitation work would help restore the canal system and provide early relief to the affected population and farming community. They also emphasized close coordination among the concerned departments to ensure timely completion of the rehabilitation project.