MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) will shortly receive the first quarterly instalment amounting to Rs105 million from the federal government for a project aimed at improving irrigation system in the territory.

The five-year project for AJK was approved by the federal government under its ‘national programme for betterment of water resources’ in 2019-20 at a total cost of Rs2.37 billion, AJK’s Director General Irrigation and Small Dams Ahsan Ahmad Qazi told reporters on Sunday.

The project envisages construction of approximately 165 water channels and 600 water tanks and water harvesting structures across the state to bring maximum possible land under irrigation system and subsequently ensure marked development in agriculture sector, he said.

According to him, the project was prepared under the guidelines set out by Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider and Senior Minister for Irrigation Chaudhry Tariq Farooq and subsequently sent to the federal government for approval.

The senior minister comes from the southernmost Bhimber district where, officials claim, proper irrigation system could bring a “revolution” in agriculture sector.

Director General Qazi said the teams of his department were conducting survey across the state with a view to passing on project’s benefit to as many land holders as possible.

Giving details, he said around 225 water channels were worked out to be constructed in Muzaffarabad district, 179 in Bhimber district, 177 in Mirpur district, 139 in Neelum valley district, 104 in Kotli district, 84 in Bagh district, 81 in Poonch district, 65 in Sudhnoti district, 58 in Jhelum valley district and 53 in Haveli district.

Total length of these channels was estimated to be 1283.68 kilometres and would irrigate more than 31,243 acres of land, he said.

Under the same project, Mr Qazi said, 125 water tanks or water harves-ting structures were conceived to be constructed in district Muzaffarabad, 75 each in Neelum valley and Poonch districts, 50 each in Jhelum valley, Bagh, Haveli, Kotli, Mirpur and Bhimber districts and 25 in Sudhnoti district.

In aridlands, these structures would prove to be the best source of irrigation, he said.

Mr Qazi asked farmers to apply for survey of their areas concerned so as to help his department to cover all deserving areas with their collaboration.

He told that the government would provide 80pc funds for schemes under this project whereas the remaining 20pc amount would have be shared by the community concerned (beneficiaries).

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2020