Govt earmarks Rs40bn for construction of Khyber dams

BARA: A sum of Rs40bn has been allocated for the construction of Bara and Jabba dams in the Khyber tribal district, said Provincial Minister for Irrigation Liaqat Khattak.

The statement came during the minister’s visit to Bara tehsil to review the Spera dam. Khattak was accompanied by Secretary Irrigation Daud Khan, chief engineer (south) Irrigation Department and Director Irrigation for the Merged Areas Sahibzada Muhammad Shabbir Khan, Parliamentary Secretary for SAFRON (Ministry of States and Frontier Regions) Iqbal Afridi, MPA Muhammad Shafique and other officials.

Shabbir Khan conveyed the details of the Bara and Jaba dams to Khattak, while MNA Iqbal Afridi voiced the problems being faced in the construction of the two. The provincial minister responded that the government has earmarked Rs30 billion for Bara dam and Rs10 billion for Jabba dam.

Upon completion, the Jabba dam is expected to provide clean drinking water to a million people, bring an estimated agricultural land of 20,000 acres under cultivation and protect Peshawar as well as the Khyber district from floods during monsoon.

Meanwhile, the Bara dam is projected to help irrigate 50,000 acres of land in Bara tehsil besides possessing the potential to generate several megawatts of electricity for domestic and agricultural consumption.

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