MIRPURKHAS, Feb 14: Managing director of the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority Ali Mohammad Baloch has said that under on farm water management project, 100 distributaries and 25 branch canals will be improved and 400 watercourses lined.

He was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of a three-day training workshop for farmers held at the office of the director of the Nara Canal Area Water Board here on Monday.

Mr Baloch said that in the first phase, 10 distributaries would be improved and then 30 distributaries would be improved each year. He said that farmers' organizations would have to sign an agreement and supervise the work and payment to contractors would be made after issuance of NOCs by the organizations.

He asked the farmers to form watercourse associations and improve recovery of water tax and other taxes. Speaking on the occasion, social development specialist of Sida Nazeer Essani said that field staff had been increased for the help of farmers' organizations and training workshop were being organized for improving their efficiency.

Farmer Zahid Bhurgari said that distributaries should be lined with watercourses. Habib Ahmedani, Ghulam Mustafa Ujjan, Asif Ali Baladi, Khalid Pirzado, Nisar Memon, Mustafa Ahmad and Shamsuddin Ujjan also spoke on the occasion.

BAN: The DCO has banned carrying arms, preparing and selling firecrackers, raising objectionable slogans, making provocative speeches, distributing pamphlets, banners and posters, wall chalking, playing objectionable cassettes, playing VCR at public places and standing at galleries of houses on the routes of mourning processions. The directive, issued under section 144 of the CrPC, will remain in force for seven days from February 14.