FAISALABAD - With Japanese soft loan of Rs26 billion Faisalabad Irrigation Zone has become the first zone in Punjab to complete 100 percent rehabilitation/lining of canals.

"The supply of water in short/dry trails have recorded an improvement of 69 to 100 percent with the completion of projects," claimed Faisalabad Irrigation Department Chief Engineer Rana Asif Mehmood. Briefing a group of visiting Islamabad-based journalists here, he said that from 2002 to 2016 Japan has provided soft loans of Rs 26 billion for various irrigation projects in Faisalabad.

He said "There are six irrigation zones in Punjab and Faisalabad is the first one to obtain 100 percent rehabilitation/lining of canals."

Flanked by Shinichi Honda, First Secretary Economic and Development Section Japan Embassy, Rana said that in phase-I of Punjab Irrigation System Improvement Project (PISIP), with Japan's help, they were able to complete work on 156 km rehabilitation of Lower Chenab Canal system.

The Lower Chenab Canal (LCC) off-taking from Khanki Head Works located in Gujranwala district on river Chenab was constructed in 1892-98, he said.

This canal has two parts i.e LCC Main Line Upper and LCC Main Line Lower and is supplying irrigation water to 3.031 million acres of cultivable command area (CCA) through a network of branches, distributaries and minors.

He said in phase-II of PISIP, rehabilitation of Lower Chenab Canal system 1337 Km of Lining of 169 number of distributaries and minors, remodeling of/reconstruction of hydraulic structures, escape channels, new/replacement of structures (bridges) and construction of cattle Ghats were completed.

He said, in phase-III of PISIP raising and strengthening of banks (87 KM), construction of BR bridges, side protection, construction of cross regulators, construction of new escape structures, construction of cattle bath stations, were completed. The lining of 452 KM canals and rehabilitation/up gradation of 602 KM of the canals system was also completed, he said.

He said, the objective of the project was to reduce seepage losses in the saline area and to improve conveyance efficiency, reliability and durability of the system, to provide irrigation water to the beneficiaries in a more sustainable and equitable manner and to reduce the system maintenance cost.

Due to rehabilitation Jhang Branch Upper canal, Jhang Branch lower canal and Bhowana branch water discharge has shown an increase of up to 29-49 percent, he added.

He said that due to the completion of lining and rehabilitation the yields of various crops have recorded an increase of 137 to 147 percent.

The incremental financial benefits of amount Rs2880 million has been estimated on the entire project implementation, he said. He said the direct economic benefits achieved to the society in the form of increased agriculture production due to investment in irrigation infrastructure and institutional reforms Rs3004 million per annum.

Earlier talking to media Water and Sanitation Authority(Wasa) Faisalabad Managing Director Faqeer Mohammad said that with JICA aid in grant of Rs1456.840 million, they have completed the replacement of pumping machinery at Chiniot and boosters pumping stations.

Similarly for Improvement of water supply in Faisalabad (JICA project) was launched with an estimated cost of Rs6433 million.

He said that the current demand of Faisalabad is 160 million gallons per day while Wasa has the capability of providing 110 MGD.