12 April 2004	Monday	21 Safar 1425

Despite the fact that "Participatory Irrigation Management" (PIM) is a new concept for the people of Sindh. It has started delivering concrete results in a short period of about one and half year in the form of increase in the collection of Abiana in the jurisdiction of at least one area water board; enhancement in the supply of water to tail-enders following the removal of un-authorized pipes in some areas through local participation; strong check on the cutting of trees on the canals, and many other such acts.

It would not be out of place to recall that the concept was put in practice under the World Bank-aided National Drainage Programme (NDP) when the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (SIDA) was established in 1998. However, SIDA started functioning as an autonomous body only about one and half year back following a number of reforms.

The main objectives of these reforms, known as, "institutional reforms in irrigation sector" are: to improve the quality and equity of water distribution to farmers, especially the tail-enders, to restore the reliability of water delivery and to diminish the cost for the government.

The entire system based on the concept of PIM, comprises three tiers viz, SIDA, AWBs and FOs. Under the plan, SIDA will manage three barrages, operate and maintain major drains as well as flood protection infrastructure along the river Indus; AWBs will manage canals and branch canals while the responsibility of distributaries is that of FOs.

All these three tiers are autonomous in nature and will have check and balance by the Regulatory Authority to be established under the Ordinance. Till this authority is established, SIDA board will perform the functions on behalf of this authority.

Under the system, SIDA will supply water to AWBs and AWBs to FOs etc while FOs/AWBs will be responsible for the collection of Abiana in their respective areas. An FO will retain 40 per cent of Abiana and the rest is to be passed on to AWBs. Under the system, farmers will also look after the maintenance of the water courses and its distribution among the Khatedars.

Under Sindh Water Management Ordinance-2002, adequate representation is to be given to farmers, on all the three tiers viz. SIDA, AWBs and FOs. For example, section 5 (ii) of the ordinance says: " f) one member to be elected from amongst the FOs receiving water from the Guddu Barrage, g) one member to be elected from amongst the FOs receiving water from the Kotri Barrage, and (h) three members to be elected from amongst the FOs receiving water from the Sukkur Barrage, provided that one member shall be a small farmer on the tail end of a FO which is situated on the tail end of an AWB command area."

However still the system is not complete. This can be judged from the fact that although under the Ordinance, all the three Barrages are to be shifted to SIDA, but so far no barrage has been handed over to it. Out of 14 Canals, so far Area Water Boards on only four canals viz.

Nara Canal, Left Bank Canal (Fuleli and Akram Wah) and Ghotki Feeder Canal, have been formed while AWBs on 10 more canals are yet to be established. Besides, powers as laid down in the Ordinance are yet to be given to SIDA authorities.

Naturally, no system can be expected to deliver fully until and unless its organizational structure, as originally envisaged, is complete and all requisite powers are vested to its authorities.

As for the network of FOs, it needs to be emphasized that since FOs have to act as nucleus of all activities to be conducted under this programme, extra care is required in the formation of FOs so to make them true representatives of farmers. Moreover, FOs are to be formed in accordance with the criteria and spirit as laid down in the Ordinance as well as the rules and regulations formulated by the government.

Nara Canal was first to have been handed over to SIDA i.e. in 1999, while the rest two canals were handed over in 2001. As such, the NARA Canal Area Water Board (NCAWB) vis-a-vis the rest two AWBs is in an advanced position of the formation of FOs like its performance in other fields including the management transfer to FOs.

Here, it also needs to be mentioned that generally an FO takes 3 to 6 months to be formed as enough care is to be taken in scrutinizing Khatedars of a particular branch, the election of the office bearers and their registration in a true democratic manner, etc

Despite all these odds and technicalities, as many as 197 FOs have so far been formed all over the province. Out of these FOs, the number of FOs formed in Nara Canal Area Water Board (NCAWB) is 162, while the number of FOs formed in Left Bank Canal Area Water Board (LBCAWB), Ghotki Feeder Canal Area Water Board (GFCAWB) and outside AWBs is 13, 12 and 10 respectively.

Abiana: It is a major achievement of the FOs of NCAWB and the board itself as they collected Rs60 million as Abiana during the year 2001-2002's as compared to Rs27 million collected by the provincial government on one canal during the year 2002-03.

Based on the experience of Abiana collections it can be safe to say that this system is viable and given full support from all quarters, SIDA can stand on its own feet.

Unauthorized pipes: It was also for the first time that the management of Left Bank Canal Area Water Board (LBCAWB), removed as many as 47 illegal pipes installed on Akram Wah about two months back. Electric supply to 25 over-size lift machines was also disconnected as part of the same campaign, as a result of which about 175 cusecs water was saved.

A team of the World Bank also visited remote villages and the sites and appreciated the efforts of the SIDA.

Cutting of trees: In Sindh, trees instead of being treated as a national wealth, have all along been practically regarded as worthless commodity. However, in September, 2003, the management of LBCAWB, filed criminal reports against some lower staff of AWB for conniving with the illegal acts of cutting of trees on the banks of canals and channels, Not to that extent, but SIDA management also recommended to the provincial government to take action against three officers of the LBCAWB for not filing FIRs against the cutting of trees in the jurisdiction of LBCAWB.

These incidents indicate that if this system is allowed to strengthen, it can really bring far-reaching reforms in the irrigation sector of Sindh. However, some lobbies representing the vested interests do not like to see the system succeed.