Small Dams will fulfill water needs in Rawalpindi :Ahmad Ali Aulakh

Lahore: Provincial Minister for Agriculture Malik Ahmad Ali Aulakh has said that after completion of small dams, availability of irrigation water for the lands should be ensured in Rawalpindi division.

He stated this while addressing the officers of Agriculture Department in committee room of the office of Project Small Dams (Rawal Dam) Islamabad. He said that the performance of the command area of the dam which have been completed should be made hundred percent which is far less than the fixed target i.e. 65 percent. He said that total command area of small dams is 54 thousand acre out of which 24 thousand acre is irrigated under gravity while the remaining through lift irrigation. He issued directions to the concerned departments to irrigate maximum area by operating all the channels.

The Minister informed that the small dam project worth Rs. 163 million is near completion and Punjab government has released Rs. 12 million for this project during the current year. The Minister was informed that 20 dams out of 21 are operational in Chakwal, 11 dams out of 14 are operational in Attack, 11 out of 13 in Jhelum and 10 dams of Rawalpindi are operational. He issued directions to the concerned authorities to make those dams operational as have not so far been made operational and command area should be made cultivable. He directed joint committees to again visit command areas of small dams and ensure that farmers are benefiting from this facility of Punjab government. Joint committee will present its report to the Minister after 15 days and he will personally review the progress of small dams and command area development.

Addressing the officers of Forest Department, the Minister directed to complete the target of 3080000 saplings in connection with monsoon plantation in the north zone. He directed field staff of Livestock department to immediately complete vaccination of Livestock against the diseases. Chief Conservator Forest Raja Khalid, Project Director Small Dams Haroon Khan, EDO Agriculture Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Gull, District Officer Agriculture Extension Amanullah Shah and Assistant Director Agriculture Information Naveed Asmat Kahloon as well as officers of Fisheries, Livestock, Forest and Irrigation departments attended the meeting.