HYDERABAD, June 24: The Indus Water Council, in collaboration with the Sindh Agro Journalists and the Indus Network of Stakeholders, held a consultative meeting at the press club here on Sunday to discuss measures to improve the irrigation system.
The meeting also discussed the future of the Sindh Irrigation Development Authority (Sida).
Irrigation experts, politicians and technocrats took part in the dialogue.
They were of the unanimous opinion that it should be ensured that the stipulated measures should not undermine the existing irrigation system or increase burden on growers.
They gave two years to Sida to improve the irrigation system of the province after which an impartial investigation would be conducted about the performance of Sida.
Speaking on the occasion, Sindh Chamber of Agriculture President Syed Qamaruzzaman Shah said that during the Nawaz Sharif government, growers had offered to pay Rs35 per acre as water charges which would have been enough to meet the total expenses of the irrigation department.
He, however, said the then finance minister, Sartaj Aziz, did not accept the offer on the reason that the country was under pressure from the World Bank to take loan. He said the World Bank representatives had also met him to discuss the issue and added that there should be no interference from outside in the working of the irrigation department.
Sindh Abadgar Board President Abdul Majeed Nizamani was of the opinion that water management was the responsibility of the government and not of growers.
He said the so-called measures to improve the irrigation system were being thrust on Sindh although the same had been rejected by the Punjab government. He said Sindh should emulate Punjab in this regard. The growers would face financial burden for bringing about any reforms in the irrigation system, he said.
Mushtaq Mirani, an economist and professor of the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, regretted the allegations against Sindh that it was opposing development and progress.
He emphasized the need for improving the irrigation system to save water from being wasted. He said improvements in the irrigation system could not be left to the bureaucracy alone and stressed the need for the active participation of the growers in the structural reforms.
Prof Mirani said the growers of Sindh should concentrate on the cultivation of rose flowers, vegetable, fruits and fodder which, he said, would improve the agrarian economy of the province.
He did not agree with the contention that the growers would be overburdened due to the reforms in the irrigation system.
Speaking on the occasion, Ali Gohar Shah said 22 farmers’ organizations were working in the province presently and added that 1,200 farmers’ organizations would be constituted to improve the irrigation system.
Dr Yamin Memon, former social development expert of Sida, said the reforms in the irrigation system should be transparent and subject to strict accountability and scrutiny.