Punjab Irrigation Department is diverting maximum irrigation water out of its share towards cotton growing districts of South Punjab for sowing the cotton crop which is the mainstay of Pakistan's agro-based economy and major source of foreign exchange earnings.
Punjab canal regulator engineer M. H. Siddiqui told Business Recorder on Wednesday that although Punjab will be facing 20 percent irrigation water shortage from 1st April to 10th June 2012, yet it was giving priority to the ongoing cotton crop sowing in the districts of Jhang, Khanewal, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, D.G. Khan, Rajanpur, Sahiwal, Vehari, Pakpattan, Lodhran, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Rahimyar Khan in south Punjab.
He said that Irsa has allocated 9.32 MAF water from the Tarbela and Mangla dams till 10th June to Punjab for sowing the Kharif crops including cotton, sugarcane, rice, maize, vegetables etc against its requirement of 11.6 MAF water. However, he said with the expected improvement in the river flows in June and start of monsoon season Punjab would be allowed to draw 22.34 MAF water against its average need of 23.4 MAF water from 11th June to 30th September. He said Punjab needs 34.65 MAF water for sowing and maturing Kharif crops from 1st April to 30th September but this year it will get only 31,66 MAF water.
Siddiqui said there has been a noticeable improvement in the river flows during the past 20 hours. Water inflow in river Jhelum has gone up to 46,000 cusecs from 31,000 cusecs, in river Indus at Tarbela from 28,000 to 31,000 cusecs, in River Kabul at Nowshera from 27,000 cusecs to 32,200 cusecs and in River Chenab from 18,600 cusecs to 21,700 cusecs at Marala near Sialkot.
Director General agriculture extension services Punjab Dr Anjum Ali told this scribe that Punjab is upbeat after producing a record 12.2 million cotton bales, during 2011-12 cotton season - 54 percent more than the previous year. He said the provincial government has set the target of 6.62 million acre for sowing the cotton crop during FY 2012-13. He said the agriculture department has launched special awareness and training programmes for the cotton growers to achieve maximum cotton production in the province.
District officers of agriculture (extension wing) in cotton sowing areas have been advised to ensure appropriate sowing and plant population for healthy cotton crop. The extension staff will visit cotton fields to monitor the plant/pest population and cotton growth, Ali said. The department has advised the farmers to use 6 to 10 kg cotton seed in case of line sowing and 8 to 12 kg cotton seed in case of drill sowing. The farmers should properly treat the seed before sowing it, he added.