Punjab faces 27 percent water scarcity for Kharif crop

LAHORE:Facing a 27 percent water shortage in the ongoing Kharif season against average uses, the Punjab government is putting efforts to allocate its shares to South Punjab on priority for meeting demand of cotton and other crops.

This was informed in a review meeting on water supply in canals of South Punjab which was held here Wednesday under the chairmanship of Secretary Agriculture Iftikhar Ali Sahu and Secretary Irrigation, Punjab, Wasif Khursheed.

On this occasion, Secretary Agriculture Iftikhar Ali Sahoo said that water supply in the canals of South Punjab is very important to achieve the cotton production target. In the three divisions of South Punjab, Bahawalpur, Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan, more than 4 million acres have been brought under cotton cultivation and now water supply is very important at this critical stage of better management of the crop.

He said that the promise of canal water supply during the cotton season is being fulfilled and for this, the Departments of Agriculture and Irrigation are working together.

Apart from this, the field teams of the Agriculture Department are providing technical guidance by participating alongside the farmers for the better management of cotton at 52 Kisan Sahulat Centers in South Punjab.

On this occasion, Irrigation Secretary Wasif Khurshid said that the Irrigation Department would allocate its shares to South Punjab during the cotton season on a priority basis.

He added that this year there is a 27 percent water shortage in the system of the irrigation department, but with better planning, water will continue to be supplied to the farmers of South Punjab on priority so that the cotton production target can be achieved easily. Keeping in view utilisation of available water resources, the provincial secretaries expressed satisfaction over the situation of canal water supply for cotton crop in South Punjab.