LAHORE, Aug 6: The Punjab Irrigation Department on Friday transferred control of Sulemanki and Islam head works to Bahawalpur zone and Sidhnai-Mailsi Link Canal to Multan zone.

The decision was taken at a meeting, which was chaired by Punjab Irrigation Minister Amer Sultan Cheema. The meeting also decided to form committees, comprising two local MPAs and representative of district Nazim, to ensure supply of water at tailends of canals and raid outlets for checking water theft. These would meet every fortnight and review their progress.

It was decided that police would accompany the raiding parties and assistance of private security might also be sought in this regard. The department's vigilance director had been asked to start conducting raids.

The meeting also decided to recommended to the government an amendment to law to make water theft a non-bailable offence. On the recommendation of the minister, the meeting decided to use media for informing people about the river and canal situation and local media (radio) for link canals and distributaries.

The administrative control of barrages should go to the zones that got most of the benefit. On the basis of the same principle, the meeting was informed that control of Sulemanki Barrage and Islam Head works had been taken back from Multan zone and given to Bahawalpur, and SM link canal from Bahawalpur to Multan irrigation zone since it feeded Multan.

The officials decided to close down Scarp tubewells for six months in Bahawalnagar where the water level had gone down. The farmers from area were also offered relief in abiana (water cess) because water was not provided to it through Awami Canal.

Earlier, the irrigation secretary informed the meeting that the capacity of the Baloki-Sulemanki link canal had been increased from 18,000 cusecs to 22,000 cusecs to improve water supply to Bahawalpur zone. Similarly, the Marala-Ravi Link canal had been getting 22,000 cusecs instead of 13,500 cusecs. A sum of Rs780 million had been spent on these projects.

Prominent among others present were CM's adviser Jahangir Tareen, environment minister Makhdoom Ashfaq, Baitul Maal minister Ijaz Shafi, Zakat and Ushr minister Khadim Husain Wattoo, chief secretary Kamran Rasool and secretary Javed Majeed.