Govt to divert sewage from irrigation canals

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has hired consultants to make a plan to block inflow of sewage water into the irrigation canals of Peshawar and devising an alternative plan for the drainage of sewage water.

According to official sources of Local Government Department, the project would cost over Rs2.55 billion and it has already been sent to the federal government for approval and funding. The project is aimed at saving the canals of Peshawar from polluted sewage water, the sources said, adding Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) would carry out the construction of the project once it is designed by the consultant firms.

In this regard services of the consultants have been hired who have completed the survey of 4 canals in the district initially. The sources said that the initial cost of the project is also being reviewed while the documents of its cost have been sent to the federal government for approval.

Around Rs200 million were allocated for the project during the current fiscal year of which Rs50 million were spent under different heads including consultancy charges.

Once complete it would save the irrigation canal from the sewage water as well as garbage.

“Most people throw their garbage into the irrigation canals which is really problematic. Now the government wants a separate sewerage system that would be connected with the Bara River which is empty these days due to the construction of dams upstream in Khyber tribal district.

Bara River joins Kabul River in Nowshera district.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 16^th, 2021.