The functions of the Irrigation Department, as enunciated in the Punjab Government Rules of Business, are given below:
Irrigation & Drainage
a. Rivers and riverain Surveys.
b. Barrages: construction work and all matters connected therewith.
c. Construction and maintenance of canals.
d. Tubewells and other water utilization schemes.
e. Flood control and flood protection schemes.
f. Drainage schemes.
g. Storage of water and construction of reservoirs.
h. Basic and applied research in irrigation, hydraulics, groundwater and land reclamation.
i. Administration of the Canal and Drainage Act, 1873.
j. Administration of the Soil Reclamation Act, 1952.
k. Administration of the Land Improvement Tax Act, 1975.
l. Assessment of water rates.
m. Distribution of canal waters.
CORE FUNCTIONS
1. Operation and upkeep of the irrigation system of the province;
2. Planning, prioritization and implementation of maintenance works through approved O&M Work Plans, and under third party top supervision;
3. Optimizing the use of water resources in the province by the equitable distribution of irrigation water supplies (about 54 MAF) through 58,000 canal outlets;
4. Assessing water rates based on actual field inspections by the revenue staff of the department;
5. Implementing the development program portfolio and foreign-aided projects;
6. Providing for and executing a plan for the management of river floods m the province, and to construct and maintain flood protection programs/works;
7. Promoting the participation of beneficiaries in the management of the Irrigation and Drainage Systems of the province, in line with requirements of the Punjab Irrigation and Drainage Authority (PIDA) Act, 1997;
8. Administering the Electricity Act and Village Electrification matters: and · Acting as the Personnel Department for over 52,000 employees of the Provincial Irrigation Department, including matters related to career development, posting and transfer, promotion and in-service training.
