Provincial Irrigation & Power Department has completed 75 percent work of desilting of perennial canals in the province while 100 percent target will be achieved by the end of this month. This was disclosed by Senior Minister, Raja Riaz Ahmad while presiding over a high-level departmental meeting at the Irrigation Headquarters, here on Tuesday.
The meeting was attended by various Chief Engineers, PIDA officials and the concerned field staff who apprised the meeting about the pace of desilting in their respective areas. The meeting was told that desilting campaign is being completed in two phases. In the first stage, desilting of 400 perennial canals will be completed by January 31 while desilting of 239 non-perennial canals will be launched in March this year.
Water will be released in non-perennial canals after April 15, the meeting was informed. The minister expressed satisfaction that 15 monitoring teams, comprising high-level irrigation officials are regularly checking and evaluating the technical standard of desilting and the closer works of water channels.
He said that he himself visited Faisalabad and Multan irrigation zones to monitor the pace of work while the Secretary Irrigation has inspected desilting of canals in Bahawalpur zone. He asked the field staff to ensure timely completion of desilting and other works.