KABUL (PAN): The minister-designate for Power and Energy Ismael Khan on Tuesday said he would bring 780,000 hectares of land under irrigation and would increase power production to 3,500 megawatts, if he was given a vote of confidence. Ismael Khan, also former power and energy minister in the outgoing Karzai's cabinet, presented his future before the lawmakers. He vowed to work on construction of small dams which would help produce electricity and irrigate barren lands. Without going into details, Khan said 100 small dams would be constructed and feasibility study of 38 medium dams would be launched and 17 dams would be executed in the incoming five years. He added that 208 irrigation projects and 20 large dam projects had been surveyed and work on some them was underway. Reconstruction work on Naghlo, Darunta, Pul-i-Khumri and Chak hydro electric power stations is in progress, he told the house. Khan said with completion of 2100 new projects, 780,000 hectares of land would be brought under irrigation. According to Khan, 3200 schemes had been identified and 1200 completed during the last five years. The projects to be implemented in the next five years would cost four billion US dollars with financial help from donors and International Community, he said. frm/ma
