ISLAMABAD, NOV 26 (DNA): The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved an additional $48 million loan for the Balochistan Water Resources Development Sector Project in Pakistan.
This funding will support the completion of critical project components, including the Churi Infiltration Gallery subproject, development of the Siri Toi Dam command area, and watershed management activities, which were previously delayed due to budgetary constraints, according to ADB press release received here Wednesday.
These components are vital for enhancing irrigation efficiency, promoting sustainable water use, and mitigating soil erosion caused by floods.
An innovative piped water distribution network will also be introduced in the Siri Toi command area. This system promises higher efficiency, reduced conveyance losses, and improved service delivery compared to traditional open-channel systems.
The additional financing builds on the project’s earlier successes in strengthening irrigation infrastructure and improving water resource management in Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by area. The province faces severe water scarcity, exacerbated by economic challenges and climate impacts.
Agriculture, which forms the backbone of Balochistan’s economy, contributes nearly two-thirds of the province’s economic output and employs 60% of its 13 million residents. However, frequent droughts, water management capacity issues, and climate vulnerabilities have put livelihoods at significant risk, with regional poverty rates nearly twice the national average.
“The ongoing project, for which additional financing has been approved, focuses on the Zhob and Mula river basins,” said ADB Country Director for Pakistan Emma Fan. “This project supports livelihoods and creates improved economic opportunities, particularly for women engaged in agriculture.”
Once completed, the Siri Toi Dam in the Zhob river basin will provide a storage capacity of 36 million cubic meters of water, significantly improving reliable water availability.
This will ensure efficient and equitable water delivery for domestic and agricultural use across 16,592 hectares of command area, including 1,839 hectares under khushkaba (rainwater harvesting) farming systems.
To enhance long-term sustainability, the project incorporates watershed management measures such as afforestation, soil conservation, and the construction of check dams, to reduce land degradation and improve flood management within the dam’s catchment area.
The ongoing project is cofinanced by the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific—funded by the Government of Japan through ADB—and the High-Level Technology Fund.
It aims to establish a climate-resilient and sustainable water resource management system in Balochistan, ensuring long-term benefits for the province.
![PESHAWAR, JAN 12 /DNA/ - Owing to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's precarious law and order circumstances, the provincial assembly has written a letter to the Peshawar corps commander seeking an in-camera briefing on ongoing operations and the security situation in the province. "The [special] Committee desires to receive a detailed briefing from Headquarters XI Corps, Peshawar, particularly in the context of the ongoing operations being conducted by the federal government and LEAs in the merged districts of KP," reads the letter issued by KP Assembly Deputy Secretary Tariq Noor, while referring to the Special Committee (on Security) constituted by the house. The committee features more than 40 members, including the leader of the house, the leader of the opposition and provincial ministers, along with parliamentary leaders of respective political parties. The letter, dated January 8, also points out that the committee has received detailed briefings from key stakeholders, including the chief secretary, the additional chief secretary, the IGP, and now seeks a briefing as part of the consultative process. Letter written by KP Assemblys deputy secretary to Headquarters XI Corps. — Reporter Letter written by KP Assembly's deputy secretary to Headquarters XI Corps. — Reporter The KP Assembly's request for a briefing from a senior army commander comes as the province, as stated by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry in a recent media briefing, accounted for nearly 71% of all the terrorist incidents in 2025. The overwhelming share of KP in facing terror incidents, as per the military's spokesperson, was due to a "politically conducive environment and the flourishing political-criminal-terror-nexus" in the province. Noting that the Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in KP was resisting counterterrorism efforts at every forum — a claim denied by the PTI — Lt Gen Chaudhry highlighted that the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) carried out 75,175 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across the country in 2025, of which 14,658 IBOs were conducted in KP. Out of the total 5,397 terrorism incidents reported nationwide in the previous year, as many as 3,811 incidents occurred in KP. The issue of terrorism and military operations has been a point of contention between the PTI's KP government and the Centre in recent times, where the former has time and again stressed a political solution and dialogue, whereas the latter has pressed on with taking action against the terrorists. This is also reflected by the KP Assembly's letter to the Headquarters XI Corps, Peshawar, which says that the Special Committee (on Security) "acknowledges the importance of security measures but considers that operation alone without broader political, social and developmental initiatives may not ensure suitable peace and stability and could risk further unrest in the province".](https://islamabadpost.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/security-forces-218x150.jpg "KP Assembly seeks Peshawar corps commander’s in-camera briefing on security situation")
