ISLAMABAD, July 5: The World Bank on Friday expressed concern over the slow place of reforms in the water and irrigation sector and has asked the government to expedite this process.
Sources told Dawn that the bank had conveyed its views to the government at a meeting on public expenditure management presided over by minister for water and power Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao.
The bank had diverted $100 million from its $785 million National Drainage Programme to other sectors two years ago but still continued to fund other projects particularly related with the flood programme.
At the meeting, Balochistan representatives had protested over the proposed development of water and irrigation projects with focus on Indus basic development and demanded these projects did not benefit the province.
The Balochistan government has demanded that projects other than Indus basin should be given priority particularly tubewells and ground water recharge techniques should be adopted which would have some positive impact in Balochistan.
The meeting decided that an apex body would be established at the Federal level to bring discipline in water resources management.
It also decided that provincial commitment to projects, carried out through Public Sector Development Programme, shall be mandatory as financial relationship between Centre and the provinces required more focus.
An official statement said that the National Water Policy should be presented to the cabinet after addressing issues that had been identified so far.
A special cell shall be created within the ministry of water and power to help conduct feasibility studies of small dams, it said.
The meeting was attended by officials of the World Bank, provincial irrigation and power secretaries, representatives of the finance division, planning commission, economic affairs division, Indus River System Authority and Wapda.
The World Bank had earlier identified five major areas for investment, including storage, drainage, new canals, rehabilitation and modernization and on-farm water management. It envisaged a five-year plan for investment of Rs252 billion.
Aftab Sherpao had directed provinces to expedite their comments on documents provided by the World Bank. So far, Punjab has commented on the documents.
Water resources specialist of the World Bank Walter Garvey noted with satisfaction that the government was pursuing a long- term integrated strategy. Major investment on development of water resources signals focus on investment in this sector, Mr Garvey observed.
He said that World Bank was ready to support institutional reforms in water sector and should help to carry out feasibility studies of storage sites.
He cautioned that next 40 years would need a different strategy keeping in view increasing population and depleting water resources.
He emphasized to mobilise best talent to achieve goals and learn from success stories of Brazil, Portugal, United States, Australia and India.
The meeting showed consensus to develop water resources other than the Indus Basin.
During the meeting, Wapda representative had informed that Vision 2025 had a focus on developing water resources that includes Indus Basin, areas of Balochistan and the NWFP.
Stressing the need to rehabilitate the existing irrigation assets and improve the ground water level through conservation, he said that results of small dams were encouraging, as it had improved ground water situation.
The meeting was told that the Area Water Boards and farmers organizations had been created that would help collecting water rates (Aabiana) and save costs to provincial irrigation departments.