KP to prioritise irrigation, water infrastructure in ADP 2026-27

Islamabad: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Saturday chaired a meeting to review proposed development projects for the Annual Development Programme (ADP) 2026-27 relating to the Public Health Engineering, Irrigation, and Communication and Works departments.

During the meeting, the chief minister directed officials to prepare a comprehensive plan for the rehabilitation and restoration of existing water supply and sanitation schemes across the province. He said restoring full functionality to the current water supply infrastructure was among the provincial government’s top priorities.

Afridi also instructed authorities to ensure that all districts were included in the planning process. He directed that PC-1 documents for all relevant projects be prepared well before the budget is finalised.

The meeting approved the inclusion of regular schemes in the new ADP for the urgent restoration of irrigation infrastructure damaged by floods. The chief minister further asked officials to prepare a detailed framework for the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Flood Resilience Programme.

Focus on dams and irrigation network

Underscoring the importance of water storage, Afridi said the remaining work on Sanam Dam, Chashma Akora Khail Dam, and Sarozai Dam should be completed at the earliest. He also gave in-principle approval to several proposed schemes for the construction of new dams.

According to the details shared in the meeting, the chief minister said dams were important not only for irrigation but also for flood control, and stressed the need for timely completion of ongoing projects.

It was also decided that a scheme for the rehabilitation and repair of the existing infrastructure of the Chashma Right Bank Canal would be made part of the new development programme.

In addition, a comprehensive letter will be sent to the federal government to seek support for implementation of the Chashma Right Bank Lift Canal Project. Afridi described the CRBC project as highly important for irrigating hundreds of thousands of acres of land and called for adequate federal funding for it in the new Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).

The chief minister also directed that priority be given to making existing irrigation infrastructure functional across all regions on an urgent basis.

Roads and bridges also under review

The Communication and Works Department was instructed to prepare regular schemes for the immediate restoration of roads and bridges that were damaged by floods.

The meeting’s decisions indicate that irrigation, water supply, sanitation, flood resilience, and the repair of damaged transport links will remain central to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s development planning for the next financial year.

The review covered key sectors tied to public service delivery and post-flood rehabilitation, with the provincial government placing particular emphasis on restoring existing systems alongside advancing selected new projects.