CM-KP orders to expand cultivable command area

PESHAWAR
Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi has directed the Irrigation Department to immediately prepare a comprehensive plan for increasing the cultivable command area across the province, a handout said. He said that expanding the command area was essential for ensuring food security, which remains a top priority of the provincial government.
Chairing an important meeting of the Irrigation Department at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Peshawar, the Chief Minister instructed the introduction of a modern asset management system, as well as GIS mapping of the canal network and the preparation of a fully digital record. He further directed the complete digitisation of all departmental functions, including abiana (water rate) collections, noting that digitisation would significantly enhance both transparency and performance.
Additionally, the Chief Minister ordered the formulation of a comprehensive flood contingency plan and directed that coordinates and video evidence be prepared for the cleaning and maintenance of canals.
Muhammad Sohail Afridi also instructed the filling of vacant posts in the Irrigation Department and called for an end to the “on-pay scale” culture, emphasising that the required human resources should be recruited without delay.
Moreover, he directed that all under construction small dams be completed within stipulated timelines, stating that the construction of new dams is vital to meet the needs of a growing population. He also issued directives to expedite measures for providing tourism facilities near dams.
During the meeting, a detailed briefing was given on the responsibilities of the Irrigation Department and its subsidiary bodies, ongoing development projects, administrative matters, legal framework, irrigation infrastructure, and budgetary issues.
Participants were informed that more than 2.412 million acres of land in KP was currently cultivable. Regarding small dams, it was briefed that over 321,000 acres have been made cultivable through small dams constructed in various districts of the province, while 24 more small dams was under construction which, upon completion, will bring an additional 61,000 acres of land under cultivation. Provincial Minister for Irrigation Riaz Khan and other relevant officials were also present at the meeting.