KARACHI, Jan 26: A meeting of the Project Steering Committee on Revamping/Rehabilitation of Irrigation and Drainage System in Sindh was held under the chairmanship of Sindh Minister for Planning and Development Syed Shoaib Bukhari on Wednesday.

Provincial Minister for Irrigation and Power Nadir Akmal Leghari, Ghulam Sarwar Khero, Malik Israr and Khadim Ali Memon also attended the meeting.

The physical plan of this Rs12.963 million project, approved and funded by the federal government, provides for ensuring equitable distribution of water among all farmers, especially those of the tail area, in the canal system; strengthening of canals and drains banks; desilting of canals; stone pitching in canal prism; remodeling of regulators; rehabilitation of bridges and modules; revamping of tubewells; and resectioning of surface drains.

Syed Shoaib Bukhari said that the irrigation network in Sindh was the world's largest system. He wanted to know about the causes of the overall low progress of this mega project.

He also directed for expediting the work for bringing about an improvement in the condition of farmers. Irrigation Minister assured the meeting that the work would be expedited and targets met. He said that the progress of the work would be reviewed at the committees' meetings to be held with short intervals in future. -PPI