Work on Warren Canal irrigation system likely to resume soon

TANK: Construction work on the Warren Canal irrigation system is likely to be resumed soon as Wapda authorities are mulling action against the contractors to finalise the remaining work of the system, sources said on Thursday.

The work on the USAID-funded scheme worth Rs3.16 billion had come to a halt after a dispute erupted between the main and sub-contractors. The work on the longstanding public plan is to be resumed following severe criticism by the socio-agricultural circles of the area on Wapda for not completing the long-awaited scheme within the stipulated period. Under the “Vision 2025,” the project was executed in 2015 by Wapda in line with Pakistan Enhanced Partnership Agreement (Pepa) to bring 28,000 acres of barren land of Tank district into the permanent canal irrigation system. The USAID donated 20.16 million dollars for the project, with the crop sowing objective from 26 percent to 87 percent and the harvesting intensity from 9 percent to 80 percent during an agreement virtually signed between USAID and Pakistan in September 2014. The scheme was scheduled for completion within a year (by 2016). The people of 36 villages in Jat circle attached great expectations to the realisation of project that would have far-reaching impacts on the regional economy and self-sufficiency in food and fibre as well.