ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $200 million loan for Pakistan on Tuesday for developing an irrigation system in Punjab to help increase agricultural productivity and enhance food security.

The project loan, denominated in Japanese yen, will finance the construction of the second branch (Choubara) of the Greater Thal Canal irrigation scheme, the ADB said in a statement.

The main canal and the Mankera branch were constructed by the government of Pakistan in 2009.

The scheme is expected to provide reliable water supply to 704,000 hectares (around 1.74m acres) of land in Bhakkar, Jhang, Khushab, Layyah and Muzaffargarh districts, making them more agriculturally productive.

“Given Pakistan’s vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, it is essential to build irrigation infrastructure for climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture,” said Yevgeniy Zhukov, ADB’s director general for Central and West Asia.

The Asian Bank’s support will help boost the supply of local produce and promote food security while increasing economic growth, he said. Punjab is the main source of food production for Pakistan’s growing population.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2021