‘Efforts afoot to modernize country’s irrigation system’

Multan: Punjab government is going to initiate a World Bank-funded Rs 68 billion project to modernize country’s irrigation system and make it efficient enough to save one million acre-feet (MAF) water per year for agriculture purposes. Agriculture spokesman said on Monday that the project, being dubbed as the revolutionary programme to sustainable agriculture development, would directly benefit over 1.3 million farming families in the province. World Bank is providing over Rs 45 billion funding for the five-year plan, aimed not only to offset climate change’s impact on agriculture but also to ensuring efficient use of available water resources. Once completed, the project would enhance agriculture production by 25 per cent and save 20 per cent water, the spokesman said in a statement. It will generate employment opportunities for 5000 youth, the official said adding that high-efficiency irrigation systems would be installed on 40000-acre area while the solar systems would be installed on 20000 acres. The project would save one Million Acre Feet (MAF) water and would improve water distribution mechanism among small farmers by 40 per cent by improving movement of six MAF water within the system.