LAHORE, June 15: The water sector seems to have taken the lion’s share of the Punjab’s Annual Development Pro-gramme —- Rs3.750 billion directly going to the irrigation and Rs544 million reserved for the water management out of Rs737 million for the agriculture sector.

Of Rs3.750 billion going to the irrigation department, Rs21 million have been earmarked for survey, investigation and research; Rs214 million for irrigation projects and another Rs12 million for small dams in the Pothohar area.

Drainage and reclamation will consume Rs12 million and flood works Rs40 million. Of the budget, Rs3.44 billion will be spent on small hydel power projects and Rs7.1 million on power and miscellaneous work.

Survey, investigation and research will undertake design and review of Kalabagh dam. But the ADP document shows the head as ‘unapproved.’

Feasibility study of the Punjab barrages has also been included, besides a survey of new possible small dams.

Major irrigation projects include remodelling of Thal canal, Jalalpur canal project, Dajal branch extension (Rajanpur), Paikhel Lift Irrigation Scheme (Mianwali), Mohar lift scheme (Mianwali), restoration of Marala-Ravi link canal, restoration of BS canal, UCC head off-take, Lift canal to feed left of BRBD, lining of rasul division, lining of Kirana, Rajanpur and Kot Addu canals.

Maintenance of small dams in Pothohar and construction of Basal dam have also been included. Flood works includes knocking down old weir and to control Jammu Tawi in order to check its confluence with the Chenab river.

Projects like the National Drainage Programme and management of the Mithawan Hill Torrents in Dera Ghazi Khan will be undertaken through foreign funding.

New schemes will also be launched at the cost of Rs31 million.

Similarly, on-going schemes worth Rs332 million have been placed under the National Draining Programme in water management schemes in the agriculture department. This World Bank-funded programme includes treating saline districts of the Punjab and Asian Development Bank’s assisted component of the Chashma Right Bank Irrigation project.