ISLAMABAD, Dec 22: The federal government has decided to rehabilitate 86,000 watercourses throughout the country to increase the overall agricultural production.

Official sources told Dawn that 86,000 watercourses would be rehabilitated through Programme Management Units to be set up at federal and provincial levels.

The plan is to carry out 'National Programme for Improvement of Watercourses in Pakistan' in letter and spirit. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had directed the ministries of Water & Power and Food & Agriculture to increase agricultural production, specially the wheat crop, by effectively utilizing irrigation water.

The prime minister had expressed his concern over regular import of wheat and said that self-sufficiency in production of the commodity must be achieved by improving various irrigation methods.

The overall objective is to increase agricultural production by effective utilization of irrigation water through watercourses, strengthening farmers' participation for better management of water levels and promoting increased employment opportunities in the rural sector by improving all the remaining watercourses in four years' time.

The proposed programme is in line with the objectives of the long-term plan under the sub-sectors agriculture and water resources. Sources said that the development plan states that following the Water Accord, there shall be emphasis on integrated management of agriculture, irrigation and drainage leading to effective use of land and water resources.

This has been envisaged to be achieved by the development of farmers organizations, institutional reorganization and staff training along with improvement, rehabilitation and development of water resources.