HYDERABAD, June 2: The director of the Left Bank Canal Area Water Board, Agha Aijaz Ahmad, has said water channels of Golarchi, spread over 336 miles, are being excavated which will increase the supply of water for irrigation. He was speaking at a one-day workshop organized by the media and communication cell of the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority in Golarchi, Badin, on Wednesday.

The workshop, organized under the Water Management Project, was presided over by the general manager, research and development, Sida, Dr Mumtaz Ahmad Suhag.

Mr Ahmad stressed the need for resolving problems of growers of the Gunni division.

Taluka Nazim Aslam Rahu said it would take time to eliminate flaws in the irrigation system.

He said Sida was working hard to ensure water supply to farmers of tail-end areas.

Badin Area Water Board chairman Abdul Ghafoor Nizamani said Sida had introduced a participatory system in distribution of water by associating growers with the system. He rejected reports that Sida was being disbanded.

The communication specialist of Sida, G. N. Mughal, said the World Bank and the Sindh government had jointly started a water management programme at a cost of Rs5 billion.

He said the World Bank had contributed Rs3 billion for the project under which 4,000 watercourses would be lined, 2,000 water tanks would be constructed, 100 minors would be repaired and machines would be provided for levelling 100,000 acres of land. He said training centres would also be established for growers.

ADMISSIONS: The director, admissions, University of Sindh, on Wednesday announced that the last date for submitting forms for admission to LLM had been fixed at June 11.