ISLAMABAD, April 27: Federal Minister for Water and Power Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao says flood prevention and control programmes running under the Federal Flood Commission (FFC) are of vital importance for optimum water management in the country. He expressed these views while presiding over a meeting of the steering committee of the FFC here on Tuesday.

The minister said Pakistan needed to conserve each and every drop of available water for its agricultural and other needs. He said Pakistan was facing shortage of water, while on the other hand the precious agricultural land was wasted in every flood that could be prevented.

"Flood control and protection projects would help save the agricultural land and conserve the available flood water for future usage, he added. "During the current financial year the federal government has allocated Rs350 million for the normal/emergency flood programme and Rs275 million for the reformulated second flood protection sector projects.

We all should work in a coordinated way to utilize this sum in the most efficient and effective manner so that the projects can be completed in the stipulated time," Sherpao added.

He directed the authorities concerned to speed up the process of completion of all formalities for the projects so that the projects may be started soon and completed within the set time.

Earlier, the chief engineering avisor of Federal Flood Commission, I.B. Sheikh, gave a detailed presentation on the progress of the undergoing and planning stage projects.

He told the minister that 45 schemes had been cleared for implementation with the estimated cost of Rs296.245 million for the normal/emergency flood programme, while Rs242 million had been released for the reformulated second flood protection sector projects at various stages of completion.

The meeting was also attended among others by secretary Water & Power, Saeedullah Jan, additional secretary Riaz Ahmed Khan and representatives of economic affairs division, planning and development division, WAPDA and Public Irrigation departments of all provinces.