|
Irrigation department urged to
ensure smooth water supply
LAHORE-Punjab Agriculture Minister, Khurshid Zaman Qureshi has
urged the Punjab irrigation department to make necessary
arrangements for the adequate availability of water for cotton
crop during next 10 days. Chairing a meeting of the Cotton
Crop Management Group at Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI),
Multan on September 22, he said that the cotton crop at this
time was bearing fruit and was in need of irrigation and added
that the last irrigation had to cotton crop had to be
completed by the end of September.
He urged the Irrigation Department authorities to look into
the possibility of adjusting canal releases during this period
so that irrigation was ensured to every field of cotton
crop.Earlier, the Chief Engineers of different zones falling
in cotton area gave an overview of canal irrigation
availability in their respective areas. The canal flow
was satisfactory in Faisalabad zone. However, flows in LBDC
and UPC had dropped to 86.55% and 83.55% respectively during
the current month.
The D.G.Khan region was also facing some problems due to cut
in D.G.Khan canal caused by hill torrents in last week of
August, 2001 and an area of 73000 acres was feared to be
damaged due to disruption of canal flows in Rajanpur area.
Some of the channels in Bahawalpur region were also flowing
with less than authorised share of water. Adjustment, were
being made to cope with the situation. The meeting also
reviewed the pest situation in cotton crop and it was found
that the farmers had to remain alert and treat their crops
against whitefly, heliothis bollworm and spotted
bollworm if it was found reaching the economic threshold after
pest scouting. The farmer representatives expressed their
concern about the low price of cotton. The Minister for
Agriculture and Cooperatives assured them that the matter was
being taken up with the authorities and every step will be
taken to ensure reasonable prices of seed cotton to farmers.
The meeting was attended by Secretary Agriculture, Directors
general Agriculture of Extension and Research, Chief Engineer
of Irrigation Department, directors of Cotton research, Plant
Protection and Agronomy.
September 22, 2001
|
Other News
|
