KARACHI, April 4: The Chief Minister, Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, on Tuesday asked the Sindh Irrigation Department to take solid steps for saving precious Indus delta areas from sea intrusion, besides launching a drive against salinity and water-logging in the whole province.

He said the irrigation department will be given Rs1,500 million in the new budget so that, besides lining of canals in the province, various developmental projects are completed.

He was chairing a meeting held to review development schemes. The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary Ghulam Sarwar Khehro, Secretary Finance Israr Malik, Secretary Irrigation Shuja Junejo, and other officials.

The chief minister observed that Sindh had 5.186 million hectares of cultivable land and an additional 1.3 million hectares could be brought under cultivation if canal water was made available.

He said that to make the Irrigation Department more effective, a planning cell would be set up, which will prepare schemes for the department.

He called for prudent utilization of funds allocated for development schemes.

Arbab directed that improvement should be brought in the department because the British gave the world’s best irrigation system to Sindh after 1843, adding that the Sukkur Barrage too was the result of their hard work.

He said that instead of having new canals, 113 ongoing schemes of water-logging drains and remodelling should be completed to improve canal water system and thus get more water for irrigation.

He said planning for the Irrigation Department should be carried out in a manner that it met demands for the next 50 years.

He pointed out that Sindh’s economy was based on agriculture and, therefore, it was necessary to improve the irrigation system.

The chief minister observed that three barrages in Sindh had 1,462 branch canals, distributaries and minors. Besides, the world’s best irrigation system having 8,400 water courses was in the province.

Arbab referred to the under-construction LBOD, RBOD-I and RBOD-II projects and said both provincial and federal governments had the cooperation of each other in the execution of these projects.

—APP/PPI