DERA ISMAIL KHAN - Warren Canal with the total length of 36.5 kilometers is the next component of Gomal Zam Dam of whose 63 kilometers long main canal is alone responsible for the irrigation of 1,63000 acre rain-fed barren land of Tank and DIKhan districts.

Prior to the government’s decision to construct a dam on river Gomal, the Warran Canal was a seasonal nullah which used to bring flood waters to the thirsty plains of Damaan but not without serious repercussions and consequences.

Often the flood waters came unwarranted and did a terrible damage to the crops and property over Damaan, laying the landscape wasted and its people homeless.

“Run, grab your belongings, take the cattle to safer places, the Warran is flooded and a wall of water is approaching the village,” these are the cries of people when Warran inundated their area without any fore warnings in the near past.

The work on USAID funded scheme worth Rs.3.16 billion had come to a halt after contractual dispute between the main and sub-contractors erupted.

The construction work of Warren Canal irrigation system is likely to be resumed soon, credible source in the Gomal Zam Dam project told this scribe. The work on longstanding public uplift plan is to resume following severe criticism by the socio-agricultural circles of the area on WAPDA for not completing the long-awaited scheme in the stipulated period .

Under the “Vision 2025 “, the USAID funded project was executed in 2015 by Water & Power Development Authority (WAPDA) in line with Pakistan Enhanced Partnership Agreement (PEPA) to bring the 28 thousand acres ( 4 lakh kanal approximately) barren land of the Tank district into permanent canal irrigation system. The USAID donated 20.16million dollars for the project with the crop sowing objective from 26 per cent to 87 percent and the harvesting intensity from 9 percent to 80 per cent during an agreement virtually signed between USAID and Pakistan in September 2014. (Completion of Warran Canal project to bring far reaching on regional economy)

The scheme was scheduled for completion within a year (by 2016). The people of 36 villages in Jat circle(commonly called Jatatar) attached great expectations to the realization of their long cherished dream of Warren Canal Project liable for putting far reaching impacts on the regional economy and self-sufficiency in food and fiber as well.

According to design the average discharge of the canal as per official PC-I is 202 cusecs .

The completion of Warren Canal will ensure upheaval in the farming pattern. Humayun Khan a local landlord opined that there were host of the problems and rows running among the people over the turn management of water flow in accordance with the existing centuries old hilly/flood torrents water distribution system commonly known as Riwajat-e- Abpashi under Kuliat- Zam Gomal and Kuliat –I Zam Tank.

Former Projector Engineer Muhammad Saleem Khan talking to this News Agency suggested that completion of Warren Canal would not only ensure round the year water availability but rather the mechanism devised for distribution of irrigation water in line with Canal and Drainage Act would also control and combat the exploitation and tactics in the name of out of turn water flow , adding which gives ways to conflicts among the masses .

Undoubtedly , the provincial authorities while evading the conventional Riwajat e- Abpashi; water distribution system and ensure timely provision and availability of irrigation needs of the landlords without any discrimination, put in place a fresh water sharing mechanism under the Canal and Drainage Act.

As per background of the Warren Canal, it was was described as a main feature of the Gomal Zam dam when the British government initially conceived it in 1880 survey .

The canal system of Gomal Dam in its early conception was to be constructed with 164 kilometers.

The irrigation system through old Rod-kohi system prevailed even during the post partition era with its poor mechanism . However, it could no longer serve the farmers until the military rulers let the century old Gomal Zam Project out of the cold-storage in 2001 and people attached expectation with its output.

The Warren Canal is the second irrigation component of the dam. A main feature of the Warren Canal is that WAPDA has revised the Chuk-bandis of the Warren Canal on ground Realities, ultimately which would add to the numbers of outlets and will be beneficial for the farming community.

Last but not least, the experts hope, productivity will increase after a larger area coming into command area.