Water projects: Country likely to spend less-than-allocated funds
May utilise 88% of the earmarked Rs43.55b despite water scarcity fears.
Conservation measures will also be undertaken including the lining of irrigation channels, rehabilitation of irrigation system and lining of water courses. STOCK IMAGE
ISLAMABAD:
The government is unlikely to utilise all the funds earmarked for the development of water resources and projects in the outgoing fiscal year 2014-15, despite growing concerns of acute water scarcity in the future.
According to the Annual Plan 2015-16, in the current fiscal year, which will end on June 30, maximum resources were allocated for timely completion of priority projects to achieve the planned targets.
The state is expected to spend Rs38.445 billion on water sector’s development programmes by the end of the year, which constitutes 88% of the total allocation of Rs43.55 billion, revealed the annual plan.
“Major goals for water sector in the next fiscal year have been planned keeping in view the strategies and policies formulated in Vision 2025 and the 11th Five-year Plan (2013-18),” said the government in the plan.
It stressed that an integrated approach would be adopted like previous years to tackle the present and future challenges faced by the water sector.
Priority will be given to the construction of small and medium-sized dams and the disposal of drainage effluent in a safe manner. Conservation measures will also be undertaken including the lining of irrigation channels, rehabilitation of irrigation system and lining of water courses. These are being implemented under the federal government’s programme and are also being gradually shifted to provinces. Emphasis will be laid on timely completion of projects in order to lessen the burden of throw-forward schemes.
In the next fiscal year 2015-16, a budget allocation of Rs30.6 billion has been made for water projects, of which maximum resources will be directed to ongoing development schemes.
Overall, the supply of water to farm gates is expected to be about 139 million acre feet (maf) in 2015-16 including the release of surface water through canals. About 5.29 maf will be added to the supplies from underground fresh water aquifers, mainly by tube-well operators.
According to the annual plan, steps will be taken to reduce seepage in order to control water loss and mega projects will be completed. An amount of Rs4 billion has been set aside for the lining of irrigation channels in saline zones in Punjab and Sindh to bring under control seepage and other losses.
According to projections for population growth by 2025, an additional 10 maf will be required by farmlands to increase agricultural production and ensure food security.
There are plans aimed at spending Rs1 billion on completing about 15 ongoing and new small emergency flood-control schemes.
An amount of Rs22.5 billion, about 75% of the total allocation, has been proposed for irrigation projects next year including small and medium-sized dams.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 7th, 2015.
The government is unlikely to utilise all the funds earmarked for the development of water resources and projects in the outgoing fiscal year 2014-15, despite growing concerns of acute water scarcity in the future.
According to the Annual Plan 2015-16, in the current fiscal year, which will end on June 30, maximum resources were allocated for timely completion of priority projects to achieve the planned targets.
The state is expected to spend Rs38.445 billion on water sector’s development programmes by the end of the year, which constitutes 88% of the total allocation of Rs43.55 billion, revealed the annual plan.
“Major goals for water sector in the next fiscal year have been planned keeping in view the strategies and policies formulated in Vision 2025 and the 11th Five-year Plan (2013-18),” said the government in the plan.
It stressed that an integrated approach would be adopted like previous years to tackle the present and future challenges faced by the water sector.
Priority will be given to the construction of small and medium-sized dams and the disposal of drainage effluent in a safe manner. Conservation measures will also be undertaken including the lining of irrigation channels, rehabilitation of irrigation system and lining of water courses. These are being implemented under the federal government’s programme and are also being gradually shifted to provinces. Emphasis will be laid on timely completion of projects in order to lessen the burden of throw-forward schemes.
In the next fiscal year 2015-16, a budget allocation of Rs30.6 billion has been made for water projects, of which maximum resources will be directed to ongoing development schemes.
Overall, the supply of water to farm gates is expected to be about 139 million acre feet (maf) in 2015-16 including the release of surface water through canals. About 5.29 maf will be added to the supplies from underground fresh water aquifers, mainly by tube-well operators.
According to the annual plan, steps will be taken to reduce seepage in order to control water loss and mega projects will be completed. An amount of Rs4 billion has been set aside for the lining of irrigation channels in saline zones in Punjab and Sindh to bring under control seepage and other losses.
According to projections for population growth by 2025, an additional 10 maf will be required by farmlands to increase agricultural production and ensure food security.
There are plans aimed at spending Rs1 billion on completing about 15 ongoing and new small emergency flood-control schemes.
An amount of Rs22.5 billion, about 75% of the total allocation, has been proposed for irrigation projects next year including small and medium-sized dams.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 7th, 2015.