The Punjab government has allocated Rs 11.30 billion for the Irrigation sector in the budget 2008-09. This shows an increase of around 3 percent over the allocations made for the 2007-08 fiscal and constitute about 11.2 percent of the core Annual Development Programme (ADP) (2008-09) budget under the mid term development framework MTDF 2008-11.

Farmers of Atghoria upazila under the district in a press conference yesterday demanded introducing payment of cash money instead of giving one-fourth of the paddy yield as irrigation charge to the deep tube-well owners. Atghoria unit committee of Bangladesh Krishak Oikyo Parishad arranged the press conference at Pabna Press Club auditorium as part of their campaign for removing the tradition of paying one-fourth portion of paddy to the tube-well owners.

Shimla: The 1,500 MW Nathpa-Jhakri Hydro-Electric power project remained shut for the fifth consecutive day on account of high silt level, hampering power supply to seven northern States. The silt level was recorded 5,500-6,000 particles per million (ppm) on Sunday, which is higher than the permissible 4,000 ppm, forcing closure of the project for fifth day, Deputy General Manager of public sector Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) told PTI.

The Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) has taken up a new two-year project involving Tk 20 crore to resolve the water-logging problem in the city by restoring the nine canals and improving drainage system. LGRD ministry has okayed the work plan after it got nod from the Planning Commission, SCC sources said yesterday. All the nine natural canals, locally known as chhara, will be re-excavated and structures will be built to protect them from further encroachment.

Gargi Parsai NEW DELHI: Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar on Saturday said here that the Gujarat government should accept responsibility for the breach

As scarcity of water is a major threat to the growth of agriculture in Potohar region, the Small Dams Organisation (SDO) has marked five potential sites for the construction of small dams, officials told Dawn. The government had tasked SDO to carry out feasibility studies to identify potential areas for the construction of 24 small dams in the Potohar region, and at the end of first year (2007-08) this month, SDO was able to identify only five areas where small dams could be built, officials said while seeking anonymity.

: The Sindh Taraqi Passand Party Chairman, Dr Qadir Magsi has criticised budgetary allocation for controversial Greater Thal Canal and Diamer-Bhasha and Akhori dams. He said it was injustice with the people of Sindh. The resource distribution on old formula will inflict loss to Sindh in billions of rupees, he said during a meeting of the Central Committee at the Taraqi Pasand House, on Thursday.

On the eve of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's visit to the North-East, the All Idu Mishmi Students Union (AIMSU) has appealed to her to stop the proposed mega dams in the North-east, especially Arunachal Pradesh. The North-east has been identified as India's

With scattered rains in various parts of the country and increased inflow of water in the four main rivers during the past week, water availability for sowing of rice and cotton crops have improved. Earlier, there was 30 percent to 40 percent shortage of irrigation water for Kharif crops which are the main foreign exchange earners for the country, provider of raw material for the textile based industries and employer of millions of farm labourers.