Minister seeks workable proposals for Kachhi Canal
Minister for Planning Development & Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal. PHOTO: APP
Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday sought workable proposals from experts within two months for carrying 400-500 cusecs of water from the Kachhi Canal, emphasising the need for restoring the canal before developing a strategy to address future flood situations.
Chairing a meeting on the canal project, attended by Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, provincial ministers and officials via a video link, Iqbal pointed out Rs300 billion cut in the development budget, and stressed that the solutions must be found within the limited available resources.
The Kachhi Canal project would irrigate 713,000 acres of land in Balochistan. During the meeting, Chief Minister Bugti said that the 2022 floods severely affected the province's urban canal system, and as result cultivation in the command area was halted because of closure of the Kachhi Canal.
Iqbal said lauded the Punjab's urban canal model and suggested to adopt that model for its durability.
He directed experts to submit workable solutions for carrying 400-500 cusecs of water from the canal within two months, stressing that "the solutions must be found within the limited available resources".
On the occasion, Bugti expressed his optimism that water would soon be restored to the canal, alongside the formulation of a comprehensive plan to address future challenges and provision of the best possible facilities to the people of Balochistan.