KARACHI: The provincial government, with the help of World Bank, has initiated rehabilitating of Guddu Barrage.
Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (SIDA) Secretary Syed Zaheer Hyder Shah, while addressing Provincial Water Conference, jointly organised by Indus Consortium and Oxfam, said, “We have started working on the rehabilitation of Guddu Barrage with the help of World Bank then we will come to Sukkur Barrage, improvement at canals and lining of small distributaries as well.”
Shah said SIDA and growers were working together for the improvement of the water usage system. Government of Sindh and irrigation department was fully aware of issues of the growers. Further improvement was being carried out with the support of World Bank and Asian Development Bank.
He said capacity of the controversial drain Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD) was raised to 4,500 cusecs from 2,400 cusecs. He said they were working on climate change issues as well.
Mehmood Nawaz Shah, Secretary General Sindh Abadgar Board said there was no relevant data generated on irrigation in Sindh, where irrigation network was moving from bad to the worst. He said water theft issue was gone there were dacoits of water who were robbing water in the daylight. “There are issues with river basins of other countries as well,” he said.
He said during last 10 years, more sugar industries were developed in cotton producing areas. “It is not sustainable, as there is no water in those areas,” he said.
Dr Mubashir of Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi said Pakistan was a water scarce country where only 82 million people or 30 percent area had access to water and there was shortage in the rest of the country. Quoting media, he said, there was potential of using 139 million acre feet (maf) ground water through pumping and mixing with the surface water.
