ISLAMABAD, Aug 18 (ABC): The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has spent Rs12.984 billion on rehabilitating flood-damaged irrigation channels, drainage systems and flood-protection structures across the province.
According to documents available with Wealth Pakistan, the Asian Development Bank-backed Emergency Flood Assistance Project covers 143 rehabilitation and reconstruction works in flood-affected areas.
These include 79 irrigation, headworks and drainage schemes and 64 flood-protection works.
The project involves rehabilitation of 91.40 kilometres of irrigation channels and 262km of drains and flood-carrier channels. It also covers 67.90km of flood-protection infrastructure.
The Irrigation Department is implementing the programme across several flood-affected areas. These include Swat, Malakand, Charsadda, Nowshera, Peshawar, Dir, Chitral, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan.
Spending reaches Rs12.984bn
According to the project’s financial data, the foreign-funded component is valued at Rs13.2 billion. Cumulative expenditure under this component has reached Rs12.693 billion.
The local component carries financing of Rs1.8 billion, against which Rs291 million has been spent.
Together, the two components bring the total project cost to Rs15 billion. Cumulative expenditure of Rs12.984 billion represents substantial utilisation of the available financing.
143 rehabilitation works across KP
The distribution of works shows that the Dera Ismail Khan circle has the largest number of irrigation, headworks and drainage interventions.
A total of 66 such works fall within the Dera Ismail Khan circle. The project data lists no separate flood-protection work for the circle.
Swat has the second-largest combined portfolio, with 38 works. These comprise seven irrigation, headworks and drainage schemes and 31 flood-protection works.
The Peshawar circle has 16 projects, including five irrigation, headworks and drainage schemes and 11 flood-protection works.
Swabi has 11 works, comprising one irrigation-related scheme and 10 flood-protection interventions.
The Mardan circle has 10 flood-protection works, while Bannu has two.
Overall, the project portfolio consists of 79 irrigation, headworks and drainage interventions and 64 flood-protection works.
Project extended until June 2027
The loan agreement for the Emergency Flood Assistance Project was signed on December 15, 2022. It became effective on February 9, 2023.
The project’s design stage ran from April to December 2023 before implementation of the rehabilitation works proceeded across the affected areas.
The original loan closing date was June 30, 2026. Authorities have now extended it to June 30, 2027, providing additional time to complete the reconstruction and rehabilitation programme.
With spending approaching Rs13 billion, the project is restoring irrigation and drainage infrastructure damaged by floods while strengthening flood-protection structures across vulnerable areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
