M RAFIQUE GORAYA

LAHORE: The Punjab Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) has approved Construction of Jalalpur Irrigation Canal and its System at the cost of Rs.33.2 billion to irrigate about 160,000 acres of virgin land located in Tehsil Pind Daden Khan and Khushab.

The irrigation project was approved in the 17th meeting of PDWP of current fiscal year 2017-18 presided over by Chairman P&D Muhammad Jahanzeb Khan here on Friday.

Secretary P&D Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, all members of the Planning & Development Board, provincial secretaries concerned and other senior representatives of the relevant Provincial Departments also attended the meeting.

Punjab Irrigation engineers told Business Recorder that the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) has already accorded no objection to the project provided the province shall remain within its allocated share under the meanings of para-8 and 14(d) of Water Apportionment Accord 1991.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) had provided an initial financing of $5 million for the development of design and irrigation management structure of Jalalpur Irrigation Project.

The proposed Jalalpur Irrigation Project is located along the right bank of River Jhelum in Punjab. It is a new non-perennial irrigation system for enhancing the agricultural produce by bringing under cultivation about 160,000 acres of virgin land located in Tehsil Pind Daden Khan of district Jhelum and Khushab.

The main canal of about 110 km, off-taking from the right flank of the Rasul Barrage, will traverse along the right bank of Jhelum River to irrigate a command area of about 67,987 hectares on its left side. The main canal will have a discharge of about 1350 cusec of water at Rasul Barrage. The distribution system about 176 km comprising of distributaries and minors extends up to the right bank of Jhelum River. There are about 59 hill torrents of varying catchment size which flow across the project area and ultimately fall in Jhelum River.

Dominant crops in the area are wheat, cotton, rice, sugarcane, maize, fodder, potatoes, vegetables, citrus and onion. It is also an ideal area for breeding and promotion of livestock including cows, bulls, goats, camels etc.

The project will directly benefit over 200,000 rural people, mostly poor, through creation of new jobs, demand for farm labour, and improving livelihood, food security and economic growth.

The P&D spokesman told Business Recorder that PPDWP also approved Enhance Rangelands Production and Planting of Fodder Trees for Farmer Community project at the cost of Rs.745.522 million in its meeting on Friday.