LAHORE - The Punjab government is providing 60 per cent subsidy on installation of drip irrigation system and in this regard Agriculture Department (Water Management Wing) has been given a target of shifting 20,000 acres of land to drip irrigation system (DIS).
A spokesman for the department disclosed this while talking to APP on Monday. He said that the use of DIS was of high importance for uneven, pothohari and desert lands. This system helps save water, labour, fertilizers and time up to 50 per cent. Also, there is always less growth of weeds in this system of irrigation, he added.
The spokesman further said that through this system water and fertilizers could be provided to the plants at the same time, adding that through conventional system of irrigation most of water is wasted. Interested farmers should contact the Agriculture Department's Water Management Wing for installation of the system.
He said that DIS system also helps in saving production cost up to 20 to 30 per cent. The spokesman said that the Punjab government had started projects worth Rs 2.25 billion to promote modern system of irrigation and technology suitable for country's weather conditions.
The ongoing projects include drip/sprinkle irrigation system, for which the government is providing 60 per cent subsidy, installation of tunnel on which 50 per cent subsidy was being provided, while 80 per cent subsidy was being given for running drip irrigation system on solar system.
From the fiscal year 2016-17 till now, drip irrigation system had been installed on more than 11,000 acres of land, tunnel farming on more than 350 acres of land, while on an area of more than 1,500 acres, drip/ sprinkle irrigation system with solar system had been installed, he added.
