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Minister stresses judicious use of water for
farm uplift
ISLAMABAD (April 27
2004): Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture
Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind has said there is a
strong need to adopt technologies that use water
judiciously and for this creation of awareness is
pre-requisite.
While speaking at the inaugural session of D-8
Countries Seminar on Water Conservation and Drip
Irrigation here on Monday the minister said, "I
feel that there is need of a campaign to elicit
support of all stakeholders. Beside this,
extension services must be expanded and
strengthened to disseminate the use of water in
accordance with new and modern technologies to the
farming community."
He said: "The government is fully cognisant of the
shortage of water and the importance of its
judicious application and President General Pervez
Musharraf has given directives to explore avenues
of new dams and to carry out de-siltation
operations of the existing irrigation system.
Funds have been made available for renovation and
lining of the distributaries and watercourses to
make optimum use of water and to reduce in the
irrigation network, he added.
Besides this, he said, "the government has
introduced latest technologies of land levelling
by laser application. Drip irrigation as well as
sprinkler irrigation is being adopted with the
co-operation and collaboration of industry."
"This requires heavy outlays," the minister said,
adding, "the farmers whose affordability is at the
lowest ebb, need subsidies to popularise these
technologies, especially in areas where water
resources are dwindling and depleting day by day."
ACUTE SHORTAGE: The minister said: "Water is
essential for social and economic development of
human civilisation and most of the countries,
including Pakistan, face the acute shortage of
water."
Sardar Rind said the population explosion, the
increase in requirements of food security, the
water needs of sprawling industries and,
multiplying human consumption will have need of
more water by every day that passes by.
"Agriculture consumes the major share of water as
Pakistan belongs to arid and semi-arid region, it
is faced with frequent droughts and experts opine
that there will be less rains during the coming
years, he said, adding, "on the other hand, 40 to
50 percent water is lost due to our conventional
patterns of irrigation."
"Since water quantity is fixed, we shall have to
explore other avenues to reduce loss of water and
to achieve maximum of production," he added.
Earlier in his welcome address, secretary Ministry
of Food and Agriculture said: "Water is basic need
of agriculture so that we should find ways and
means to its judicious use".
Courtesy Business Recorder
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Pakissan.com; Advisory Point
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