Projects

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p. 2 of 6 BACK | NEXT Background Why the project is needed Issues and concerns ADB's response to issues and concerns Grievance Redress and Settlement Committee Activities Frequently asked questions

Why the project is needed

BEFORE AND AFTER Stages I and II have brought irrigation to about 100,000 hectares; the initial benefits of Stage III are being documented.

The Project is intended to irrigate 230,000 hectares of semiarid barren land in the North Western Frontier and Punjab provinces by diverting water from the Indus River at the Chashma Barrage. By introducing year-round irrigation to the project area, improvements are expected to crop and livestock production as well as to the incomes of some 53,000 farm families—about 370,000 people.

Average income, estimated at less than half the poverty line before the Project began, is expected to increase significantly with the Project’s completion. Benefits of Stages I and II have been realized, with about 100,000 ha now being irrigated. The initial benefits of Stage III are also apparent in field studies, and a detailed monitoring study is ongoing as the Project nears completion. It is reported that during the 2001–2002 winter crop season, about 66,800 ha were cultivated.

Before Stage III began, the area was largely barren and desolate with a harsh climate characterized by high temperatures in summer, little and unreliable rainfall, and frequent dust storms. Agricultural activities were restricted to some irrigation from wells in areas along the Indus River, and sporadic tube well irrigation from the predominantly brackish groundwater. The highly unreliable flood irrigation from hill torrents provided adequate water for a crop only at irregular intervals.

Living conditions for the local people have been difficult. Before the Project, only 60% of the rural population received potable water; the rest relied on ponded water, which is often stagnant. Guinea worm infestation was—and still is—widespread. Rapid population growth and limited employment opportunities in the area have led to considerable out-migration, disrupting family life and creating an unsustainable situation.