PM’s intervention sought: KP seeks early completion of CRBC
PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sohail Afridi has expressed deep concern over the prolonged and unresolved delay in the execution of the Chashma Right Bank Canal (CRBC) Lift-Cum-Gravity Project and has formally written to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, urging immediate action to prevent further erosion of trust between the federation and the province.
In his letter to the PM, KP CM Sohail Afridi clarified that the CRBC Lift Canal is the only provincial mega irrigation project approved under the 1991 Water Apportionment Accord (WAA) on which no progress has been made. He recalled that Punjab’s Thal Canal, Sindh’s Rainee Canal, and Balochistan’s Kachhi Canal have all been completed under the same accord, while KP continues to wait even after 35 years.
The CM informed the PM that the issue has repeatedly been raised by the KP government in numerous meetings and official communications with WAPDA and the Federal government, yet no concrete progress has been achieved.
He noted that “in March 2016, the Council of Common Interests (CCI) had clearly decided that the CRBC Lift Canal Project would be financed with 65 percent federal and 35 percent provincial contribution.
Although the project should have been fully financed through PSDP, KP agreed to bear a substantial share. However, the Federal government and Wapda have not fulfilled their commitments.”
He noted that the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) had formally approved Rs 189 billion project in October 2022, yet practical work has not begun due to continuous delays by Wapda in procurement and pre-qualification processes.
He further pointed out that the KP government has already released Rs 2 billion in 2024–25 and allocated another Rs 5 billion for 2025–26 for land acquisition, out of which Rs 2.25 billion has been released to Wapda. “Yet the land acquisition process remains stalled due to WAPDA’s inefficiencies. On the other hand, the Federal government allocated only Rs 100 million for this critical project in the current PSDP. This amount is completely inadequate and reflective of a non-serious attitude,” he added.
The CM underscored that the CRBC project holds transformative potential for the terrorism affected southern districts.
The canal will irrigate over 286,000 acres of cultivable land, strengthen food security, support agro-based industries, and generate Rs 38 billion annually in economic activity.
He warned that continued delays would not only hinder regional development but also deepen public mistrust in the federation.
The CM Sohail Afridi urged the PM to direct the Ministry of Water Resources and Wapda to secure timely funding through PSDP or donor financing and initiate physical work at the site immediately, warning that further delays would undermine both provincial and national interests.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025