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Farmers advised to follow canal Wara Bandi

RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: The Punjab Agriculture Department has advised the farmers to contact Executive Engineers of Irrigation Department and deputy directors of Agriculture to have information about canal Wara Bandi in their respective areas.

A spokesman of the department has stated that due to shortage of water in the dams, the perennial canals in Punjab are flowing at 25 to 30 percent less than capacity and water cannot be released in the non-perennial canals.

For this purpose, canal rotations in various areas are fixed in such a manner that full water allowance will be available in distributaries and minors on respective areas.

In view of crucial period of wheat crop growth at this time, the farmers should ensure that their turn for irrigation is not missed. The information about 'Wara Banid' is being prominently displayed outside the office of the respective engineers and deputy directors of agriculture from where the interested farmers can know about their turn of irrigation.

The spokesman also urged the farmers having the facility of tube-well irrigation to make use of this facility at this crucial period of wheat crop to compensate the shortage of canal water.

APP adds: The inflows to Mangla reservoir were 12,817 cusecs and outflows were 30,000 cusecs which resulted in lowering of reservoir level by 7.30 feet.

According to the Indus River System Authority on Monday, the inflows into Tarbela reservoir from the catchment were 15,700 cusecs while the outflows were 25,000 cusecs as per irrigation indent resulting in decrease of 1.10 feet in the reservoir level.

Wapda power system is functioning smoothly across the country and peak power demand of 7,388 mw inclusive of 140 mw export to Karachi Electric Supply Company was adequately met on March 12.

Wapda spokesman said that its Hydel and Thermal stations generated 1,723 and 2,860 mw power respectively to meet the demand while power import from the IPPs (Independent Power Producers) was to the tune of 2,805 mw. The share of these sources stood at 23,22,38.71 and 37.97 percent respectively.

The total system capability including that of IPPs was 9,145 i.e. 1,279 mw in excess of demand.