August 24, 2007	Friday	Sha’aban 10, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Aug 23: The Punjab government has completed environmental assessment of a multi-pronged project that envisages the construction of dams, watersheds and reservoirs in the Potohar Plateau in Attock, Jhelum, Chakwal and Rawalpindi districts to sustain the rain-fed agriculture and check the mass exodus of labourers due to lack of employment opportunities.

The Small Dam Organisation will implement the Barani Integrated Water Resources Sector Project with the financial assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), says an official document.

The project is supposed to contribute to sustained long-term social and economic development and reduce drought vulnerability of the region.

It will have three components: integrated water resource infrastructure development, demand-driven irrigated agriculture development and water use and institutional support for the project.

New water storage dams will be constructed together with the initial conservation measures in 15 to 20 watersheds. However, watersheds of selected existing reservoirs would also be treated.

The provincial government has decided to acquire land for the small dams and resolve the issue of resettlement of the affected people before starting construction work on the project.

Environmental impact assessment studies will be carried out for the site selection of the small dams and other sub-projects.

The government has already completed such a study for the construction of Kot Fateh Khan medium-sized concrete gravity dam and reservoir on the Dotal Kas stream in Attock district, some 30 km south-west of Fatehjang.

The Potohar region possesses almost one-fifth of the total agricultural land of Punjab and 40 percent of its almost seven million inhabitants rely on agriculture and livestock for their income.

But with persistent water scarcity, increasing fragmentation of landholding due to population growth and little or no progress in agriculture productivity, a vast portion of this population has been gradually moving to the off-farm sectors for livelihood opportunities.

Although, migration appears to be a necessary strategy for some of the excess labour force, the Barani areas are still home to a large population, mostly small landholders and tenants.

The overall target area covers, in total, about 22,000 square- kilometers. The watersheds included in the project are in the magnitude of 30 to 450 square-kilometers, but on average it will not exceed 100 sq km. They would cover 1,000 to 2,000 sq km area which would represent less than one-tenth of the total project area.

A social and environmental monitoring unit has been established by the Punjab irrigation and power department under the Provincial Irrigation and Drainage Authorities Act.