DADU, Nov 16: About 1,300 watercourses would be constructed in saline water areas and barren land areas of the district by June 2008 under the National Programme for Improvement of Watercourses with an aim to control water losses and increased agricultural production.

This was stated by EDO agriculture Shabbir Ahmed Bhurt at a meeting of officers of the district water management of the NPIW and farmers’ associations in the EDO agriculture office Dadu on Wednesday.

It was attended by the district officer, assistant directors, sub-engineers and technical staff of the NPIW, Dadu district.

He said that the NPIW was launched in the district in April last year to improve watercourses and out of 45 per cent work was completed on 216 watercourses in eight zones under eight field officers of the NPIW.

He said that the agriculture sector was major contributor (23.3 percent) to the country’s GDP while half of labour force was employed by this sector so officials of the NPIW must pay attention to improvement of barren and saline water lands in the far-flung areas of the district to increase crop production.

He said that 900 watercourses would be constructed in 70 per cent saline water land and 400 watercourses in 30 per cent barren and fresh water land areas of the district.

He said that till June 2006, 216 watercourses would be constructed.

He said that eight field teams were formed in Dadu, Johi, Phulji, Sita Road, Khairpur Nathan Shah, Mehar, Radhan Station and Faridabad areas.

He said that 118 farmers’ organizations were formed to construct watercourses in their areas under their supervision and funds were released for which farmers would only contribute towards labour cost.

He said that earthwork of 21 watercourses was completed and lining of 14 watercourses was in progress in the district.

He said that last year 58,250 hectares wheat crop, 10,278 hectares cotton crop, 4,115 hectares of sugarcane and 41,620 hectares of paddy crop were cultivated but in the ongoing Rabi season and more land would be cultivated after construction of watercourses through good management of the NPIW.

Assistant directors of the NPIW Dadu, Aftab Ahmed Bouk, Hashim Memon, Noor Ahmed Khuhro, Zahid Panhwar, Shoukat Kandhro, Ahmed Faraz Abro, Asghar Ali Halepoto and Kamran Ahmed Shaikh briefed the meeting about the progress of watercourses in their areas and assured that target of watercourses in saline, fresh water land and barren land would be achieved.

They appealed to farmers of the district to contact the EDO agriculture office to get funds for construction of watercourses.