Faisalabad: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday announced its decision to commence with the construction work on the Thal Canal Irrigation Investment Programme, a news source reported. It further stated that this initiative was aimed at curbing agricultural poverty in Punjab.
According to details, the Punjab government has already constructed the Greater Thal Canal Irrigation Scheme. The ADB programme would help construct its remaining parts and provide support for on-farm development.
ADB will provide financial assistance to add three new branches to the Greater Thal Canal Irrigation System by the next phase of the project. To this effect, officials said that the new programme would improve the on-farm and water management capacity for the farmers in Punjab. They added that it would also strengthen the institutional system for irrigation scheme management and increase agricultural production.
Recently, the ADB provided a loan worth USD 300 million as an emergency assistance to Pakistan in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The loan would help the government mitigate the socioeconomic impact of the financial and health crises.
