ISLAMABAD: Three key water sector development projects under the Prime Minister’s National Agriculture Emergency Programme and designed to increase crop yields leading to gaining self-sufficiency in food suffer a major setback as funding for these projects has been delayed.

The national food security and research ministry — which sponsored these projects costing Rs194 billion and launched in 2019-2020 and due to be completed in 2024 — is now seeking a two-year extension for their completion in anticipation of approval of funds.

The water-related projects include the second phase of ‘National Programme for Improvement of Watercourses in Pakistan’; National Programme for Enhancing the Command Area in Barani Areas; and Water Conservation in Barani Areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’.

The federal government’s share for these projects had been estimated at Rs61.624bn, with provincial governments’ share of Rs76.227bn and farmers’ contribution of Rs56.214bn.

Two-year extension sought for the Rs194bn schemes due to be completed in 2024

Facing serious shortfalls in funding that is causing delay in completion of the projects, the Federal Project Management Unit arranged a presentation to the caretaker Minister for National Food Security and Research Dr Kausar Abdullah Malik in Islamabad, seeking his help to get the required funds released.

The second phase of ‘National Programme for Improvement of Watercourses in Pakistan’ was approved by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Eenec) in August 2019, while the Planning Commission authorised the project, followed by administrative approval of the food ministry.

The project has so far received Rs29,035 million against the total cost of Rs106,260m, and 97 per cent of the released funds has been utilised. The project is now facing challenges for not following the PC-1-based alloca­tions, and non-release of allocation as per approval of the food security ministry, and likelihood of the revision of PC-1.

The minister was informed that the project activities remained slow due to natural hazards like floods, Covid-19 and paucity of funds. The federal project management unit sought extension of the five-year project which was due to be completed next year.

The programme has the objectives of minimisation of conveyance and field application losses, reduction in water logging and salinity, equity in water distribution, reduction in water disputes, and increase in crop yields.

The ‘National Programme for Enhancing Command Area in Barani Areas of Pakistan’ was approved during the first half of 2020 with a total cost of Rs25,345.672m, with federal government’s share of Rs9,358.533m. The provincial governments and the farming community would bear the remaining cost of the four-year project. The federal government has released Rs3,052m out of its share and 92pc of the released funds have been utilised.

The presentation showed that the project activities remained slow due to natural hazards and non-release of funds as per the PC-1. A two-year extension has now been sought for the completion of the project.

The objective of the project was to improve land and water productivity, enhance crop productivity through developing land and water resources using modern irrigation techniques and methods, promote cultivation of high-value cash crops using efficient irrigation systems and agricultural practices for enhancing water productivity to cope with the effects of climate change, and improve economic conditions of Barani area farmers and building their capacity to adjust with changing environment and practicing resource efficient and profitable irrigated agriculture.

Another project that faces delays in completion due to availability of funds is the ‘Water Conservation in Barani Areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’ which has been jointly sponsored by the federal and provincial governments to cover all areas of the province, including the merged districts of Fata.

Both federal and provincial governments would share the cost of the five-year project with Rs14,177.868m, while farmers’ share would be Rs2,321.901m. The federal government has released an amount of Rs4,737m from its share of Rs11,855.96m for the project which is due to be completed by June 2024. A two-year extension has been requested to complete the project by June 2026.

The project is aimed at conserving land and water resources through various interventions for supplemental irrigation, livestock, farm forestry and fish farming, increasing cropping intensity and per unit of land and water productivity, and improving livelihood standards of poor farmers and improving socio-economic stability.

Meanwhile, the pilot shrimp farming cluster development project being started in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan is facing financial crunch. The project is scheduled to be completed within next eight months, but out of the total cost of the project amounting to Rs6381.86m, the federal and Punjab governments have released a total of Rs1169.236m for the project.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2023