HYDERABAD, April 29: The district council of Hyderabad on Tuesday demanded the dissolution of the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (Sida).

It also demanded that the amount being spent through the Sida should be utilized on the proper lining of water courses.

The district council, which continued its proceedings for the second day, further demanded that the old irrigation system should be restored in Sindh as the culture being introduced through Sida did not match the environment in Sindh.

The council took up resolution, tabled by Qazi Abdul Qadeer, as the last item of the agenda.

Mr Qadeer informed the session that the Sida management was only closing or opening canals, and added that the country should get rid of foreign loans, which had been influencing our foreign policy.

He said the Sida was established on the recommendations of international donor agencies to ensure judicious distribution of water to growers for which a handsome amount was also provided.

He, however, stated that in the last four years not a single canal or waterway was handed over to growers notwithstanding budgetary allocations of Rs25 billion.

He said that had this budget been utilized for the lining of canals and water courses, then we would have been able to strengthen at least 50,000 watercourses thereby saving 25 per cent water.

He said that salinity and water logging — the outcome of weak watercourses and subsequent water leakage — could have been checked by 20 per cent.

He said that the performance of Sida could be gauged from the fact that despite having control of canals of Hyderabad, Tando Mohammad Khan Talukas and Badin, being fed from the Akram Wah and Phulelli Canal, for the last four years, it failed to provide water to them which was sheer criminal negligence.

He said that the agricultural economy in these areas had been destroyed and the people were resorting to strikes and demonstrations.

He demanded the immediate dissolution of Sida and provision of funds for the lining of water courses.

The chief whip, Meeran Mohammad Shah, endorsed the views of Qazi Abdul Qadeer, saying that such a culture and system was being introduced that was incompatible with the requirements of growers.

He said that a huge amount had been wasted on this account as the Sida had failed to deliver the goods and added that funds, meant for strengthening of water courses, were being lapsed.

He admitted that apart from complaints against Punjab, there has been irregular and improper distribution of water in Sindh because of weak watercourses.