Big project: Rs2.9b to be spent on Ghotki canal rehabilitation

Old structures and silt made the water regulations difficult," said Sida managing director Babur Effendi

HYDERABAD:

The Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (Sida) is going to invest Rs2.9 billion on the rehabilitation of the Ghotki Feeder Canal, which irrigates agricultural land in Ghotki, Sukkur and Khairpur districts.

The project, which will be completed in two years, aims to restore the designed water-taking capacity of the canal for optimal land cultivation. Currently, the reduced capacity is causing a water shortage in the tail-end areas. The canal is designed to irrigate around 800,000 acres but the capacity problem has lowered the irrigation by 30 to 40 per cent, leaving hundreds of thousands of acres without water to grow crops.

"Old structures and silt made the water regulations [through head regulators, minors and distributaries] difficult," said Sida managing director Babur Effendi. He said notices have been issued to all squatters to remove their structure within two weeks. Lahore based company, Descon, has been given the contract.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th, 2016.