THATTA, Feb 5: Former Sindh Irrigation Secretary Mohammad Idrees Rajput has said the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority, being an independent organization, is incapable of ensuring the province its share of water.

Talking to Dawn on Tuesday, he feared Sida would prove to be counter productive and would render losses to the agriculture sector of the province.

He said before 1973-74, the income from the irrigation sector through Abiyana was higher than expenses incurred to run the irrigation system.

He said some donor agencies, which he blamed for trying to destroy the agriculture sector of the country, particularly of Sindh, released different kinds of loans to establish control over the irrigation system. This also increased expenses on managing the irrigation system, he added.

He claimed that as per its programme, private farmers’ organizations would run the irrigation system, recover Abiyana and drainage cess and remit it to the Area Water Board (AWB) concerned.

He said the World Bank provided a loan of $520.5 million under the National Drainage Programme.

He said on experimental basis, the NDP was introduced in one canal circle in 1998 but, he added, its progress to date was not more than 25 per cent.

Mr Rajput pointed out Sindh had hired consultants at a cost of Rs750 million on the subject and constituted area water boards in five circles — Nara, Left Bank, Ghotki Westerns and Begari.

He said in the Nara circle, the AWB constituted 113 farmers’ organizations and entrusted them with 23 tributaries.

He said if the irrigation system was handed over to farmers’ organizations by 2004, 30,000 employees would be rendered jobless.