LAHORE: The Punjab Irrigation Department is in the process of digitisation and human resource development for its 36,000 employees, says Punjab Minister for Irrigation Mohsin Leghari.

Flanked by Special Assistant to Chief Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan, he was briefi ng the media on Tuesday on the two-and-ahalf year performance of his department. The digitisation would help make transfer and posting process in the department transparent.

The same process is being extended to tendering and procurement systems to make them more transparent. The recovery of abiyana (water service charges) is also being computerised, Leghari told journalists who gathered at Civil Secretariat to attend his press conference.

The department is pursuing a very active antitheft drive and it has lodged over 6,000 cases against the thieves. During the same period, over 10,000 water outlets were restored to their original condition and improved water supplies.

Three rest houses of the department have also been leased to Punjab Tourism Development Corporation for development of tourism in the province.

During the last two years, Water Policy (2018) was introduced and Water Act was approved by the Punjab Assembly in 2019. Panchayat system has also been restored in the province to improve water governance in Punjab and it would further improve with Water Flow Monitoring system, which is also introduced.

The department must be given credit for constructing Jalalpur Canal that irrigates around 170,000 acres Khushab and Jhelum districts. Restoration work on Trimmu, Panjnad and Islam barrages is in full swing. Similarly, Trimmu- Sadhnai Link Canal is also being restored to improve water fl ows in its command area. Over 400 miles of fl ood protection band have been reinforced.

The minister ended his press talk saying that desilting drive this year was particular focus of the department and he himself was monitoring it.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2021