Environmental Capacity Building Workshops

The Managing Director PIDA, Khalid Masood Chaudhary has directed the Social & Environmental Management Unit (SEMU) to implement the training workshops program which would be helpful to create awareness among the canal officers about the social and environmental issues.

As per program, one day workshops will be conducted at zonal level in which the canal officers of Irrigation Department including the officers, working on small dams will participate. The General Manager (TM) Syed Faiz Muhayudin has also advised the Director SEMU to observe the feed back of environmental capacity building program.    

Briefing on Water Pollution Issues

The officers of Social & Environmental Management Unit (SEMU) gave a detailed briefing to the General Manager (TM) Syed Faiz Muhayud Din in his office. Besides the Director SEMU Najmus Saqib Rehmani with his team of Deputy Directors Ms. Rizwana Anjum, Nosheen Fazal and Shahid Habib, many other PIDA officers were present.

While briefing, Ms. Nosheen Fazal told that Water pollution takes place due to the discharge of contaminated effluents from different sources in water bodies i.e Rivers, canals, lakes, oceans & underground water.

 She further explained that pollution from a single source like an oil spill is called point-source pollution while from many sources is called nonpoint-source which is difficult to control or remediate.

In the light of SEMU study on the pollution of River Ravi, she told that the pollution mostly affects the immediate area surrounding the source but sometimes it may affect the environment, even hundreds of miles away from the source. She indicated the water from domestic, industrial and agricultural uses as sources of water pollution in rivers, canals and drains as well as ground water which results to the fatal diseases in human being and livestock.

The team told that SEMU has adopted many remedial measures to avoid water pollution while the irrigation engineers are regularly trained to take necessary steps to make the irrigation projects environment friendly.  

The General Manager(TM) advised the SEMU team that besides engineers, general public should also be guided about the conservation of water as well as the avoiding of its pollution which ultimately spoil the water resources. He suggested to developing the awareness raising material in this regard which may be disseminated at mass level to bring change in the common behavior of the society. He also advised the Director to guide the participants of SEMU training programs about the environmental protection laws of the country. 

Status of LCC (East) Area Water Board Elections

The election for the farmer members of Lower Chenab Canal (East) Area Water Board have been conducted in 9 territorial units as per the decision of PIDA management. 

As per the election results, Muhammad Hasnain Tarrar have been elected from FOs territorial unit 1. Likewise, Ali Adnan Dogar from unit 3, Ghulam Dastgir Khan unit 5, Rana Muhammad Riaz unit 6, Rai Ali Raza Kharal unit 7, Muhammad Arif Zahid unit 8, Rai Asfand Yar unit 9, Ata Muhammad unit 10 while Mushtaq Ahmad Dogar have been elected from unit 11.

There are total 11 territorial units in the Area Water Board of Lower Chenab (East) out of which the election of 2 units has not been conducted till date due to litigation. 

Orientation Workshop at Dera Ghazi Khan

PIDA has planned to organize an orientation workshop at the Area Water Board of Dera Jaat Canal Circle on April 18, 2012 in the committee room of Chief Engineer Irrigation D.G.Khan.

The purpose of the workshop is to apprise the staff of provincial Irrigation Department about their role in institutional reforms process of irrigation sector. The Chief Executive of t he AWB, Executive Engineers, Sub Divisional Officers and the Ziladars working in the jurisdiction of Dera Jaat Area Water Board will participate in the workshop. Muhammad Aslam Qureshi, Technical Advisor JICA and Muhammad Waqar Khan, Ex-Chief Engineer Irrigation/General Manager (TM) PIDA will participate in the workshop as Resource Persons. The participants of the workshop would also be given orientation about the “Training Materials for Professional Staff of PID/FOs and AWBs. 

Abiana Recovery Campaign

The General Manager (OP) Ch. Karamat Ali has directed all the Chief Executives of the Area Water Boards in Punjab to recover the pended Abiana amount as arrears of Land Revenue. He also has advised the Chief Executives to especially launch the recovery campaigns in their jurisdictions and direct field staff to motivate the Chairmen of Khal Panchayts in this regard. 

Workshop for TOT Manuals Editing

A Training of Trainers workshop in the committee room of PIDA was organized under “Strengthening Irrigated Agriculture through Participatory Irrigation Management (SIAP) Project under JICA to discuss the editing process, promote editing works through introducing one of the tools to help the manual writing.

The nominated representatives from PIDA, Agriculture Extension and Water Management wings of Punjab Agriculture Department attended the workshop. The Training Specialist of SIAP-JICA Takashi Fujisaki coordinated the workshop and practically involved the participants in the editing process of TOT Guidelines manual.