22 October 2004	Friday	07 Ramazan 1425

ISLAMABAD, Oct 21: The World Bank is sending six missions to Pakistan to review development projects funded by the bank, including the Rs31.4 billion National Drainage Programme (NDA) which is experiencing delays.

Informed sources told Dawn here on Thursday that the World Bank's review missions would start arriving here from Oct 25 and are expected to remain in the country till Nov 10.

The bank has expressed its willingness to resume funding for some projects, including the NDA, provided issues relating to environment were sorted out and the private sector was encouraged to invest in water and drainage related projects.

The basic objective of the NDA is to restore sustainability of irrigated agriculture in an environmentally-sound manner by minimizing drainage surplus and evacuating the same from the Indus basin to the sea.

The sources said that Pakistan wanted the World Bank to extend $100 million for the NDA so that the project, which was launched in January 1998, could be completed by December 2005.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has shown its willingness to extend a loan up to August 2005 for the NDA, while the Japan Bank for International Construction (JBIC) has extended its loan to Dec 31, 2004.

The World Bank believes that the optimal water strategy for Pakistan's integrated Indus Basin System is technically complex. The trade-offs among the set of alternatives and complements (storage, conservation, reservoir scheduling policy, estuary maintenance policy and system expansion) are not simple because of the varying degrees of capital lumpiness, the uncertainty of costs and benefits, and the dependence of benefits and costs on the sequencing of investment.

The sources said that other World Bank missions arriving here related to transport sector, banking sector technical assistance, Sindh economic sector, operation and evaluation for Balochistan, Punjab education sector reform programme and the banking sector adjustment credit.

The bank is of the view that there is a need for a clearer vision that integrates long-term agriculture, irrigation water and hydroelectric development. The finalization of a national drainage accord and adequate investments in a national drainage programme will help mitigate environmental concerns.