LAHORE, Jan 15: Punjab on Monday launched a telemetry project, first of its kind in the country, with an aim to ensure canal water at tail-ends and check the practice of irrigation water theft.

As a pilot project, the provincial government has selected the Lower Chenab Canal (LCC) system and set aside a sum of Rs100 million.

Irrigation Secretary Arif Nadeem told Dawn that the system, which would be completed within 2007, was aimed at eliminating chances of human error and discretion in water distribution.

By computerising water distribution, he said, the department could reduce farmers’ complaints and win their confidence by ensuring reliable water distribution.

About the operation of the system, he said it read water situation at critical points and ensured sustained supply. The department had already identified 23 such points, which were crucial for ensuring equitable and sustained water supply. The system would transmit live data on all these points and help the department regulate water right up to the tale-end of canals and distributaries.

“It will transmit data to the central information cell of the department and guide it how much water is needed at different points for running canals at the optimum level. Thus, enabling the department to regulate water distribution from three barrages that feed the system.”

He said the Australian government, which had been regulating its canal system through it, had contributed the software for the system. It had also provided one million Australian dollars grant for the installation of the system.

About the working of the system, he said that the telemetry system included solar panels (for recharging batteries), data transmitters and reading devices. In addition to analysing water position, the system also read sea and ocean temperatures, which triggered rain system in the catchment areas. The system would be linked to the metrological office. “Thus, it will take all positions into account before guiding the department about the current situation and future projections.”

The department would regulate all its operations on these projections, he said and added: “Currently, the department takes all these readings manually, synchronise them with the Met office forecasts and runs canals accordingly. With this system in place, all margins of human error and discretion would be wiped off. The system would independently take all relevant data, analyse it and recommend canal-operating procedures.”

About selecting this particular system, he said the LCC was the most erratic system as there was no dam on it to absorb wild fluctuations. Its operation depended on the behaviour of the river Chenab, which was as erratic as a river without dam could be. “With this behaviour, the department has never been able to ensure a sustained water supply to farmers. As a result, farmers have not been able to plan their agriculture with certainty. With new system in place, the water operation and agriculture activity on it will get a measure of certainty.”

Off taking from Marala (partially fed from Khanki and Qadirabad barrages), the LCC system comprises four main channels - Upper Gogera, Lower Gogera, Mian Ali and Jhang - and 445 distributaries. It irrigates around 3.1 million acres in Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh and Jhang districts.