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ISLAMABAD, Dec 29 (APP):With declining inflows in the western rivers—Indus and Jhelum—due to limited snowmelt and scant rainfall in catchment areas, the Punjab Irrigation Department has launched its annual canal closure programme for desilting and maintenance work.
“Twenty-one major canals across the province will be closed in two phases. Twelve canals of the Mangla Command have already been closed from December 26 while the remaining nine will be closed within the next two weeks,” Engr Rashid Minhas, Chief Engineer of Punjab Irrigation Department, told Wealth Pakistan.
He said that during the first phase, water supply to these canals would remain suspended for two weeks on a rotational basis. Desilting activities will begin once the canals are fully emptied.
Under the second phase, nine canals of the Tarbela Command will be closed for a two-week period to facilitate desilting. The entire canal closure programme is expected to conclude by January 31.
According to irrigation experts, Punjab has an extensive canal network stretching over 36,000 kilometres, including main canals, branch canals, distributaries and minors, forming the backbone of the province’s irrigation system. Of this network, nearly 18,000 kilometres of main canals are closed annually for desilting.
Experts noted that the closure period also provides an opportunity to assess the condition of irrigation infrastructure.
“It becomes easier to identify damage to embankments and other structures and carry out necessary repairs during this period,” Dr Ghulam Zakir Hassan Sial, Director of the Punjab Irrigation Research Institute (IRI) told Wealth Pakistan. He added that desilting, along with repair and rehabilitation work, helps improve the long-term efficiency of the canal system.
Officials from the Punjab Agriculture Department said the temporary suspension of canal water would not adversely affect Rabi crops, particularly wheat, as irrigation requirements remain relatively low during January.
“During canal closures, farmers largely rely on tubewell water for irrigation,” Dr Anjum Ali, Consultant at the Punjab Agriculture Department, told Wealth Pakistan He added that canal supplies would resume in February, ensuring adequate water availability for crops.