KARACHI – Asian Development Bank (ADB) Director Maikito Ojhero met Adviser to Sindh Chief Minister on Planning and Development Department Dr Kaiser Bengali at the latter’s office on Monday. Additional Chief Secretary (Development) Ishaq Lashari and Irrigation Department officers including Junaid Memon, Khalid Haider Memon and others were also present during the meeting.
Ojhero discussed the proposed Water Resources Development and Management Investment Programme with Bengali. The ADB would provide $400 million for the project in four tranches. The ADB director and the provincial adviser discussed the impact of the programme in sustainable increase in production value of the province’s irrigated agriculture sector and its aim of achieving distribution of water resources in Sindh’s irrigation system and arid areas.
The officers of the Irrigation Department briefed the meeting that funds would be utilized for controlling water theft, improve abiana collection and to discourage directs outlets. Work would first start on the Naseer Canal System to rehabilitate its regulators and other structures. Bengali briefed the ADB director about the irrigation system of Sindh and said that upgraded infrastructure in the Nasir Davison of Rohri has improved the irrigation system.
He further said that improved water management system has provided more equitable allocation and distribution of irrigation water among farmers. He also urged Irrigtaion Department officers to take steps for the real assessment of abiana by monitoring and bringing in place a vigilance system.
Ray of hope for Sindh’s irrigation system?
