HYDERABAD, June 14: Additional Sindh chief secretary Ghulam Sarwar Khero has said that the powers of secretary irrigation are to be transferred to the managing director of the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority and some more canals will be transferred to Sida.

This was stated by at a high-level meeting held under the directives of Sindh Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim here on Sunday. Mr Khero said that recently a visiting World Bank mission was assured that the Sindh government wanted to continue irrigation reforms in the province under which more canals would be transferred to Sida.

The meeting warned farmers, stealing irrigation water, to undo voluntarily all illegal structures within the next 24 hours, otherwise the government would come with a very heavy hand against them.

The meeting was attended by Sindh irrigation secretary Ashfaq Memon, special secretary finance and cooperation Nargis Ghaloo, Sida managing director Ali Mohammad Baloch, members Sida board Maula Bux Talpur, Dr Bakhshal Lashari, national drainage programme, director coordination Dr Salam Memon, directors of Nara Canal Area Water Board and Left Bank Canals Area Water Board, Sida transition general manager Prof Aijaz Qureshi and others.

There was consensus in the meeting that requisite powers be delegated to the Sida managing director to regulate the functioning of farmers' organizations and address issues like supplying water at the tail-end.

It was decided to recommend to delegate these powers to MD Sida till the regulatory authority was formed. It was also recommended to the government to form the regulatory authority as soon as possible.

There was consensus in the meeting that Sida should prepare a comprehensive paper highlighting all problems hindering the smooth functioning of Sida, AWBS and FOs. The meeting was assured that the said paper would be discussed either in the meeting of Sindh cabinet or at some high- level meeting for taking necessary decisions.

Sindh irrigation secretary said that the Sindh chief minister was very serious in ensuring water supply at the tail-end of channels all over the province. He said that the next 10 to 15 days were crucial as the current sowing season could last hardly for the next two weeks.

He said that Sindh could not afford water shortage at tail- end of the channels any longer. That was why, he said, that the chief minister's one of the top priorities was to ensure water supply at each and every corner of the province.

NCAWB director Agha Aijaz admitted that 80 per cent of water courses in the jurisdiction of his AWB were tampered. He complained that they failed to get support of police in case of taking action against those tampering with watercourses.

LBCAWB director Nazeer Mughal said that his AWB was not facing problem of water tampering. On the contrary, he said, that they had removed 48 unauthorized pipes and 57 oversize lift machines on the banks of Akram Wah while 62 illegal pipes and machines were removed on the banks of Imam Wah. As the result of these actions about 350 cusecs water was saved, he said.