HYDERABAD, May 31: Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority Managing Director Mohammad Hashim Leghari has said that the development and rehabilitation work on more than 100 water channels under the Sindh on Farm Water Management Project is proceeding at a hectic pace.

He was giving a briefing to a World Bank team which visited here on Friday to review the progress of the development and rehabilitation of water channels in Sindh.

He pointed out that due to the price hike, the development and rehabilitation work of water channels have been affected because the prices of material had tremendously been increased.

Mr Leghari said that contracts of 61 waterways had been given to farmers’ organisations to strengthen their financial position.

The World Bank team comprising Uzma Sadaf, Javed Afzal, Mohammad Ehsan, Abdul Qayoom and others also met the office-bearers of different farmers’ organisations and got a briefing on the progress of work.

They said the issue of increase in prices of material needed to be resolved soon. They said that since the work had been delayed due to some reasons, the schedule of the project might be extended.

General Manager, transition Sida, Professor Aijaz Qureshi; General Manager, operation, Moula Bux Mirbahar; and general manager, finance, Anwar Memon, attended the meeting.