Canal project director calls on NA speaker

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has said that Pakistan is an agricultural country whereas production of any agricultural country depends upon ample quantity of water.

“To overcome the scarcity of the water, we have to adopt such measures through which we cannot only meet our agricultural needs but can also generate employment opportunities,” he expressed these views while chairing a high level meeting to discuss the issues related to current water crises in the country, agriculture and farming. The NA speaker said that Pakistan was including in those countries which not only self-sufficient in agriculture commodities but also export them to other countries.

He said that agriculture in Pakistan depends upon canals and rain water; however, due to shortage of water in rivers, the cultivated areas were becoming barren. “In view of the water crisis, we have to adopt such measures to save our farms to become barren,” Asad Qaiser said and stressed the need to build small canals and lay pipelines to irrigate nearby water starve areas.

During the meeting, High Level Extension Canal Project Director Pehur informed that with the help of Asian Development Bank, a project of Rs10.1 billion was initiated and under this project 91 kilometres land will be irrigated through canals from Tarbela Dam.