An amount of Rs 22 billion would be spent for bricks linings of 29,000 water courses of Sindh province during the next four years with the objective of managing and saving irrigation water for increase in crop production.
This was stated by Project Director for National Programme of Improvement of Watercourses while addressing a joint meeting of the officers of district administration, Irrigation, Revenue and On-farm Water Management Departments and representatives of banks and growers of Mirpurkhas, Sanghar and Tharparkar districts here at Darbar Hall.
The meeting was convened to review the pace of ongoing work of bricks lining watercourses in these three districts.
The Project Director asked the officers concerned to discharge their responsibilities with dedication and devotion and complete the project of brick lining of watercourses by considering it a national duty.
He said the federal government has initiated this mega-project to provide maximum facilities to the growers community of the country and the government will bear all expenses in this direction except labour charges, which will be borne by the growers.
He underlined the need for formation of farmers' association for those growers who are using water from these water courses.
These associations should be registered with the respective Executive District Officers (Community Development) he said and asked the banks to ensure opening of bank accounts of these farmers associations in their branches.
He said government has also allocated cash awards for those districts, which will complete the project in time and in a better directions.
The district which will be placed first will get a cash prize of Rs 10 million while Rs 5 and Rs 3 million each will be awarded to those districts which will secure second and third positions respectively, he informed.
The Director General National Programme for Improvement of Watercourses, Shaukat Rahimon while speaking on the occasion informed that during the current financial year 493 watercourses will be bricklined with an amount of Rs 291 553 millions.
He advised the growers to benefit from this programme and make their water courses bricklined with immediate effect.
Earlier; the representatives of growers including Mohammad Umer Pughio, Ali Gohar Shah, Ghulam Akber Dars, Choudhry Ehsan Elahi, Bhano Mal Bheel and Faqir Hussain asked for completion of bed level of canals and water courses by Sindh Irrigation Department and establishment of small factories at district level for preparation of the required tools.