KARACHI, Sept 4: Sindh Governor Mohammadmian Soomro has said the government of Sindh and the federal government both attach high importance to the institutional reforms in the irrigation and drainage systems.

He was speaking as chief guest at the inauguration of a two day workshop on “Change Management for Effective Management Transfer to Farmer Organizations,” organized by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) here on Wednesday.

The governor said the present state of the irrigation and drainage system, and the present difficulties in agriculture — particularly the loss of arable land and less production due to increased salinity — do not allow us to go on managing agriculture and irrigation in the traditional way.

Rehabilitation of the irrigation system and construction of drains is important, but is no longer sustainable in isolation. Without management, the systems could be lost ultimately, he observed.

The governor pointed out that the normal concepts of better management no longer apply. New concepts are required, and to realize these concepts is not an easy task. “We have to change the management and to manage the change,” Soomro emphasized.

He said participatory irrigation management is a new management concept. In this concept, landholders and farmers are invited to take their natural role in the management of the irrigation and drainage system.

They are invited to take over the management of smaller parts of the system themselves, through the farmers’ organizations. They are further invited to participate in the management of bigger parts of the system, because they will be members in the area water boards and the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (SIDA).

In the government’s view, this is a natural development. It is natural that stake holders decide about their own affairs and express their views on matters which concern them directly, the governor pointed out.

Soomro said the idea is how to change the management and how to manage the change, as there is no change without pain. Change in organizations always means that persons have to leave positions to which they were routinely accustomed, and in which they could exercise their influence. They have to enter a new phase which is always uncertain.

He observed that it is not easy to deal with such change, especially when old habits and long-vested interests are at stake. He said a few conditions for successful change are awareness, leadership, devoted effort and exploiting success.—APP