PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Saturday directed the preparation of a comprehensive, province-wide plan for the rehabilitation and restoration of existing water supply and sanitation schemes in the province.
He was speaking at a meeting on the Annual Development Programme for FY 2026-27. The meeting reviewed in detail the proposed development portfolio of the Public Health Engineering, Irrigation, and Communication & Works Departments for the upcoming fiscal year.
The chief minister emphasised that full operationalisation of the current water supply infrastructure was the top priority of the government. He said that all districts be covered under this initiative and that PC-1 documentation for all relevant schemes are finalised ahead of the budget cycle.
The forum agreed to include a dedicated scheme in the new development programme for the urgent rehabilitation of flood-affected irrigation infrastructure. The chief minister also directed that a detailed concept framework for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Flood Resilience Programme be developed and submitted for consideration. Progress on ongoing dam projects, including Sanam Dam, Chashma Akora Khattak Dam, and Sarozai Dam, was also reviewed.
The chief minister stressed the timely completion of these projects and accorded in-principle approval to additional proposed dam initiatives. He noted that dam construction serves a dual strategic purpose, flood mitigation and irrigation support, and must therefore be prioritized.
The meeting decided to include a scheme in the upcoming ADP for the rehabilitation and upgrading of the Chashma Right Bank Canal infrastructure. Sohail Afridi also directed that a comprehensive communication be formally conveyed to the Federal Government to expedite progress on the Chashma Right Bank Lift Canal Project. He highlighted the strategic importance of the CRBC project for irrigating vast tracts of land and underscored the need for adequate federal funding allocations in the forthcoming PSDP. He instructed that existing irrigation infrastructure across all regions be made fully functional on a priority basis. Similarly, the Communication & Works Department was directed to develop a formal scheme for the emergency restoration of flood-damaged road networks. The chief minister also ordered the inclusion of schemes in the new ADP to connect Bajaur with the Swat Motorway and the Dir Motorway.
In addition, road infrastructure schemes facilitating access to key tourist destinations in Abbottabad and Mansehra will be incorporated under the Hazara development package. He also granted approval for development initiatives in the merged districts, including flood protection works, irrigation channels, check dams, and water storage reservoirs. He further directed the relevant departments to present viable proposals for including one flagship, high-impact “benchmark” mega project in each region under the new development programme.
