Ponds to be set up across Punjab to store rainwater.

Byline: Waseem Ashraf Butt

GUJRAT -- The Punjab government plans to establish small water reservoirs by developing three categories of ponds where rainwater will be stored for irrigation purposes across the province.

An official source told Dawn that these ponds would be developed as public-private partnership projects for which the land and 20 per cent of the cost would be arranged by the farmers and the remaining 80pc by the government.

The project was aimed at utilising rainwater to irrigate the farms and not let it go to waste.

The source added that the district had been informed about the number of the ponds keeping in view the total land and water requirements for irrigation. As per the plan, such ponds would preferably be built in the arid rural areas where canals and water channels were not available.

The district administration here has decided to establish at least 10 such ponds across Gujrat district during the current fiscal year.

Water Management Deputy Director Sher Afghan told the participants of a district agricultural advisory committee meeting that at least 10 small water reservoirs or ponds would be established in the rural areas of the district. The meeting was chaired by Deputy Commissioner Dr Khurram Shahzad on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Deputy Director...