WB, irrigation officials discuss water, agriculture transformation project

The officials of the World Bank (WB), in a meeting with the officials of Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (SIDA) in Hyderabad on Monday, have underscored the need for coordination between SIDA and Sindh Agriculture Department.

One of the WB officials, Greg Browder said the success of the Sindh Water and Agriculture Transformation (SWAT) project hinged upon cooperation between the two departments. Another official, Francois Onimus, underscored the need of collecting data of the water flows before embarking on the works under the canal modernization programme.

SIDA Chairman Qabool Muhammad Khatian said under SWAT’s Canal Modernisation initiative work was underway on Badin district’s longest distributary named Imam Wah. According to him, Imam Wah consisted of 170 Reduced Distance (RDs) and it started from Tando Muhammad Khan district and culminated in Badin.

The Managing Director of SIDA Preetam Das underlined the need for close working coordination with the agriculture department to ensure the optimal success of SWAT. He apprised that the authority was conducting a training program for the farmers and other stakeholders under the canal modernization program.

The Project Director of SWAT Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur told the meeting that a long-crested weir was being fixed at Jarka Minor in order to address the water unavailability complaints. The Project Coordinator Nazeer Essani said water regulation and crop patterns were being monitored through satellites.

The World Bank’s Francois Onimus emphasized the need to collect data of the water flows before embarking on the works under the canal modernization program. Engineer Sajjad Soomro apprised that the capacity of Jarka Minor was 244 cusecs and that it could irrigate around 18,000 acres of agricultural land.

He added that there were 102 water courses in the minor which spread over 67 RDs. SIDA’s Ghulam Mustafa Ujjan, Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO’s) Ahmed Junaid Memon and other officials also expressed their views at the meeting.