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Canal desilting drive in full swing

ISLAMABAD: The national desilting campaign of canals and watercourses is moving at a rapid pace in Punjab province and nearly 15 percent of work has been completed in one week's time.

Out of a total 1297 water channels, work on 159 is continuing while desilting of 78 hsas been completed, PTV reported Sunday.

The total length of canals and watercourses in the province is 8279 miles, while 950 miles of water channels have been desilted and cleaned.

So in a short period of one week 15 percent work has been completed which is way ahead of the target.

The desilting work in the province started on December 26 and will continue till January 31 of this year.

The desilting campaign is going in Faisalabad, Sargodha, Gujaranwala, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Lahore districts while desilting of canals will start in the Multan Division after the closure of canals there.

A large numbers of army jawans along with farmers, volunteers, district administration and staff of irrigation department are desilting the canals at a fast pace.

Punjab province has a very coordinated and comprehensive irrigation system based on 21 main canals and 14 headworks and barrages.

From these canals water is distributed to the far-flung areas through sub-canals, distributaries and major and minor channels. APP