The Punjab government in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the federal government is initiating a project named 'Punjab Irrigated Agriculture Improvement Programme' which will help a lot in improving province's irrigation system.
Punjab Irrigation Minister Chaudhry Aamir Sultan Cheema stated this while talking with media persons in his office here on Tuesday. He said under the first phase of the programme, Rs 17.18 billion would be spent on rehabilitation and remodelling of Lower Bari Doab Canal (LBDC) and Balloki Head Works, which would benefit 4.5 million acres of land.
He said the project would support civil works for rehabilitation and up-gradation of the Balloki Barrage, the LBDC head regulators, BS Link Canal head regulators as well as construction of spillway and associated road and bridges to further mitigate flood risks and damages. He said the project was located in districts Okara, Sahiwal, Kasur, and Khanewal. He also said the LBDC was commissioned in 1914 to serve a command area of 1,442,224 acres with a discharge of 6,750 cusecs.
The LBDC was remodelled in 1966-72 and again in 1985-88 when the sanctioned flow was increased to 9,841 cusecs, but the canal was not remodelled adequately. The present carrying capacity of the canal is less than 8,600 cusecs and even at this discharge breaches take place, he added.
Cheema also said the Balloki Barrage was constructed in 1911-13 that underwent major remodelling as part of Indus Basin replacement works in 1964-65 in order to increase the design flows into the LBDC and the BS link canals and increase the capacity to pass flood flows. Through these canals the barrage supplies water to over 4.5 million acres.
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