September 20, 2007	Thursday	Ramazan 07, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Sept 19: The World Bank on Wednesday approved a $150.2 million credit to Pakistan for improving Sindh’s irrigation sector, according to a statement issued by the bank.

The credit, with a maturity of 35 years and a 10-year grace period, was approved by the International Development Association (IDA), the bank’s concessionary lending arm. The loan will be used to initiate the Sindh Water Sector Improvement Project.

The project is designed to improve the province’s irrigation water distribution in Area Water Boards (AWBs) of Ghotki, Nara and Left Bank, focusing on measures of reliability, equity, and user satisfaction. It is expected to help increase crop yield, employment, and incomes in more than 30 per cent of the irrigated area in the province. The project will also enhance long-term sustainability of the irrigation system through participatory irrigation management and developing institutions for improving operation and maintenance of the system.

Pakistan relies on the largest contiguous irrigation system in the world to provide basic food security. The Indus Basin Irrigation System has converted deserts into arable lands suitable for agriculture. Sindh is one of the primary beneficiaries of this system with three major barrages that divert some 48 million acre-foot of water annually to the 14 main canal commands in the province. Sindh is one of the poorest regions of the country, and 56 per cent of household income comes from agriculture, directly or indirectly.

“This project will help increase agriculture production in Sindh through increased yield and cropping intensity. This will stimulate rural growth that raises agricultural and non-agricultural wages which are fundamental for reducing povery,” said Yusupha Crookes, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan. It will “support farmer organizations to improve irrigation canals and their enhanced role in management thus improving overall sustainability of the irrigation and drainage system in the province by providing a model,” said Masood Ahmad, World Bank’s lead water resources specialist.

The project will also focus on improved performance of the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority in effective information dissemination about irrigation scheduling, operation of the canals, flood forecasts and warnings. Socio-economic impacts and progress will be monitored and reported on an annual basis.