JCP to benefit agriculture in Pind Daden Khan, Khushab tehsils

LAHORE:The completion of Jalalpur Canal Project (JCP) will help in strengthening the agriculture in Pind Daden Khan and Khushab tehsils; Irrigation Department sources told this to APP here on Wednesday.

Sources said that Jalalpur Canal Project was planned in 1890 and when Rasool barrage construction was started there was a provision in it that this project could be initiated at any time to provide water to the barren land and rain fed areas along the salt range.

Sources said that the incumbent government for the first time took up this project adding that the estimated cost of this project was approximately Rs 32 billion. The project had been started with the support of Asian Development Bank, sources added. Regarding completion of the project, sources said that the project was divided into three packages. Work on first package had been started in February 2020 whereas package 2 and 3 had been awarded and the project would be completed by 2024. "The project consists of one main canal and distributries or minor canals," sources apprised. The project has two components - construction of canal and command area development.

Sources said main canal is 116km-long while distributries or minor canals are 210km long. “Drainage network would also be developed to drain flood water safely from canal through flood carrier channels,” sources added.

"Whenever it rains in Salt Range area, the rain water gets saline and when it passes from the land it turns that land unfit for agriculture activities," sources said. As far as soft component of the project was concerned, under it farmers would be trained so that they could utilise best cultivation methods.