No compromise will be made on desilting work of canals:Minister for Irrigation

Lahore: Provincial Minister for Irrigation and Agriculture, Malik Ahmad Ali has said that maintenance of quality and standard of desilting work of canals is the responsibility of the officers of Irrigation Department and no compromise will be made on it. He said participation of cultivators in desilting, construction and repair work should be ensured so that the available resources could be fully utilized.He expressed these views while addressing a high level meeting of Irrigation Department, today. Additional Secretary Irrigation Saira Aslam, Consultant M.S. Siddiqui, Chief Engineer P&R Khalid Hanif Bhatti, Deptuy Secretary Operation Ch. Ashraf, Rana Saeed, Deputy Director P&R Muhammad Arif, Chief Engineer Development Zone Jameel Bhatti, Deputy GM PIDA Afzal Anjum Toor and other officers were also present on the occasion.

The Minister said that canal system plays an important role in agriculture development therefore an active campaign should be launched with the cooperation of cultivators for its existence. He said that better look after of the canals can help in provision of water at tale ends and checking of complaints regarding water theft. He said that comprehensive and solid strategy should be evolved for strengthening banks of canals, desilting from canal beds and stoppage of water theft so that provision of water could be ensured to the farmers.
During the briefing, the meeting was informed that desilting of perennial canals is being completed in two phases. In the first phase, from December 26 to January 13, desilting work of 131 canals has been completed which is 90 per cent of the total work while in the second phase from 13th to 30th January, target of desilting from 153 canals had been fixed out of which, work has been completed on 81 canals. Likewise, 1761 miles long 264 canals have been selected for desilting of non-perennial canals on which work will be started in March. The meeting was informed that the desilting of canals would be completed within stipulated period.