HYDERABAD, Jan 9: The government has released funds for lining of 1,750 watercourses in the left bank circle but the fund will not be utilised since farmers organizations have not been formed in the area.

This was said by Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority chief Rafi Safi Munshi while speaking at a meeting with growers held near Seri on Friday. He informed the farmers that 47 illegal water outlets and modules had been removed by the Left Bank Circle Area Water Board (LBCAWB) in an operation to curb water theft in their area.

The outlets were being operated by influential landlords, Mr Munshi said. Appreciating efforts of the area water board, headed by Abdul Ghafoor Nizamani, he said that the board had outdone others.

He pointed out that the designed capacity of Akram Wah was 3,600 cusecs of water and with the removal of illegal outlets, 16 per cent of its water had been saved from theft.

He said that the landowners, who cultivated more than 27 per cent of their land irrigated through Akram Wah, were getting water through illegal means. He elaborated that according to the law enacted before 1947, a grower was supposed to irrigate 27 per cent of his total land through the canal which emanated from Kotri barrage and irrigated area in Matli taluka of Badin district.

He, however, said that Sida should change the system in the interest of the farmers. He said that earlier one chief engineer looked after seven canals but now each canal would have one area water board with one farmers' organization for each watercourse.

He stated that the growers were required to pay taxes to their farmers organizations, of which 40 per cent money would be kept by the FO and 60 per cent would be handed over to area water board.

He said that the new system was aimed at ensuring judicious distribution of water, particularly among tail-enders and small scale farmers. He said that some people had been unnecessarily opposing Sida but it was their wishful thinking that the organization would be disbanded.

The Sida chief said that the organisation had come to stay and those opposing it would not be able to challenge it as it would be backed by 700,000 farmers.

Speaking on the occasion, LBCAWB director Nazeer Mughal claimed that the campaign against water theft was going in his area and around 600 cusecs of water had been saved from being stolen.

Mr Nizamani pledged that water would be provided to the tail end of lined water channel. Director, Nara canal circle, Agha Aijaz, said that judicious distribution of water in Sindh was an arduous task for the Sida officials.

General manager, transition, Sida, Aijaz Qureshi, member, LBCAWB, Umer Farooq and others also spoke on the occasion. A grower complained that water supply to his land had been suspended though he used to receive water from a normal size pipe and without any water lifting machine.