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HYDERABAD, May 31: Sindh Irrigation Minister Pir Sadruddin Shah has called for overcoming the mismanagement of water distribution in the province.
Talking to journalists after attending a meeting of the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority here on Saturday, he said by 2005, 90 per cent irrigation system would be controlled by Sida. He urged irrigation and Sida officials to work jointly to improve the system.
The minister said water would be released Kotri downstream in instalments in mid June.
He said new techniques were being applied in the system and added that water situation was improving.
About the Thal canal, Mr Shah said Prime Minister Mir Zafrullah Khan Jamali had given an assurance that Sindh’s share of water would not be utilized for the canal.
He called for implementing the 1991 water accord which was signed by chief ministers of all the provinces.
The irrigation minister said a new system was being devolved at the grass-root level in which growers would be given control of watercourses.
Referring to the release of water Kotri downstream, he said 10 million acre feet water would be released once 117 MAF water was available in the water system as per the water accord.
He said Rs300 million had been released out of the special grant announced by President Gen Pervez Musharraf and for its utilization consultants were being approached.
About the Right Bank Outfall Drain project, he said growers wanted realignment of the project which was being executed by four different agencies as per approved design under PC-1. He said he would pay a visit to the site of the RBOD project and would meet growers to listen to their complaints in this regard.
SEED CELL: The Sindh agriculture department is formally establishing the Foundation Seed Cell, said a spokesman for the department in a statement issued here on Saturday.
He said the Cell had been informally working since the 2001-2002 Rabi season and had supplied 460 mounds of basic seed of different wheat varieties for further multiplication.
He said during the Rabi season of 2002-2003 the Cell prepared pre-basic and basic seed of TJ-83, Sarsabz, Kiran, Mehran and Abadgar varieties of wheat for multiplication in the Rabi season of 2003-2004. He said it had also produced NIAB-78 variety of cottonseed.
He said basic seed would be produced in sufficient quantity to meet the demand of the private sector engaged in multiplication and distribution of seed.
He said Sindh needed about 8,020 metric tons (200,500 mounds) of cottonseed for sowing on 1,336,810 acres. He said the Foundation Seed Cell would produce 100 metric tons of basic seed which would be sufficient to produce the required certified seed for covering 100 per cent area.
