HYDERABAD, Jan 6: Participants of a Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB) meeting on Sunday urged the government to ensure scientific treatment of wastewater being released into the Sindh waterways by establishments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Balochistan.

They also demanded release of funds for construction of Right Bank Outfall Darin (RBOD-II) and handing over the project to ‘honest’ engineers.

They said that SAB should continue to oppose imports of agro-based goods from India.

Presided over by SAB president Abdul Majeed Nizamani, the meeting noted that the Sindh chief minister had been informed recently that the industrial and domestic waste released into Sindh waterways were destroying land’s potentiality in Sindh.

He recalled that SAB had been repeatedly been urging the government to take measures for saving economy of the province.

Participants of the meeting demanded that capacity of the Left Bank Outfall Drainage (LBOD) should be raised to 20,000 cusecs and all necessary repairs in the drain should be completed by June 30. Obstructions and encroachments from natural waterways should be removed to avoid losses in rains and flood, and 2,926 dysfunctional tube-wells of Salinity Control and Reclamation Project (SCRP) of the 3,657 should be made functional. Those sugar mills should be taken to task which are releasing untreated wastewater in canals or open grounds. Direct outlets given in violation of Irrigation Act should be cancelled. Water should be provided at tail ends and rotation should be put to an end.

They also said that required flows should be ensured in downstream Kotri for keeping river Indus’ ecosystem alive. Reverine forests should be rehabilitated and encroachments in katcha area be removed. Unauthorised population, electricity connections, private structures and ‘ketis’ should be done away with and Rs10,000 per acre compensation should be given to farmers in the areas of upper Sindh where land was hit by last year’s monsoon rains and is still under water in Rabi season. The Dadu-Moro bridge should be widened as identified in 2010 floods and the irrigation department should be updated about annual closures. Repair works be done in the next three days to help evaluate the process and desilting should be done within the stipulated time.

Opposing imports of agro-based commodities from India, the SAB said there was a big difference between costs of productions in the two countries. Cost of production in Pakistan is four times higher than in India. If such import continues, Pakistan’s agriculture could not survive. Not only this but agro-based industry, textile and sugar mills will have to buy raw material at higher rates due to increasing cost of inputs.

The meeting urged the government to fix urea price at Rs550 and DAPs at Rs2,040, and free electricity connection for tube wells with Rs1 per unit tariff. Facilities like research, storage, marketing, financing and communication should be brought at par with India for local farmers.

Criticising Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (Sida) and terming it anti-Sindh., it said the authority had been controversial ever since its creation. Not a single clause of Sida Act is implemented. After incurring billions of rupees losses, more anomalies are reported in three main canals of Sindh i.e. Nara, Fuleli and Ghotki Feeder as well as the LBOD system.

The meeting questioned that when no other province had accepted this system, why Sindh had adopted it and why its first chairman had been hired from market when as per ordinance a minister had to be chairman?

It said area water boards (AWBs) were headed by unelected people. Nara canal was a test for the AWB and continuation of such system hinged on success of pilot project. But even after destruction of Nara canal system why Fuleli and Ghotki systems were placed under this system, it asked, calling for making an audit report of Sida public. Budget expenditures of Sida deputy chairman, MD and directors should be disclosed. An inquiry should be conducted into expenditures of Rs60 million for desilting of Sonan minor of Ghotki Feeder.

The meeting opposed establishment of new sugar mills in the country especially in the areas known for wheat and cotton production. If sugar production exceeds the domestic consumption requirement and internationally prices are low then rebate be given in exports. Sugar mill owners should adopt a trade-friendly attitude with cane growers. Deductions on sugarcane should be stopped and crushing must begin on time. Quality premium should be paid if recovery of sugar crosses the benchmark of recovery of sucrose.

The meeting urged the apex court to hear the appeal of quality premium-related case of farmers and ensure payment of Rs10 billion to them. Sugar cess funds should be spent on sugarcane’s research.

The meeting also discussed the law and order in the province and appreciated the apex court’s suo motu notice of the Shahzeb murder case.

It said lawlessness had forced people to shift their businesses to foreign countries. It called for expeditious disposal of cases of heinous crimes.