HYDERABAD, Jan 31: The managing director of the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority, Mr Ali Mohammad Baloch, has said that reforms are being introduced to create a sense of ownership of water among growers.

He said about 100 channels and 25 branch canals would be repaired and improved under the on-farm water management programme. He was speaking at a workshop organized by the Sida media cell in Tando Mohammad Khan on Monday.

Mr Baloch said Sida would not interfere in the process of contracts for repair of channels which would be given by the Farmers' Organizations. He said that an amount of Rs4,917 million would be spent on the project.

He said the project included lining of 4,000 watercourses and 200 water tanks for the storage of water. Sida general manager Prof Aijaz Qureshi said about 100,000 acres of land would be levelled for which 150 laser machines would be made available under the OFWM programme. He said that demonstration centres would be established in different towns for training of farmers.

A member of the Left Bank Canal Area Water Board, Umer Farooq, said the water had become a precious commodity and it was extremely necessary to understand intricacies of the water distribution system.

He stressed the need for the completion of the OFWM programme within the stipulated period as the amount earmarked had to be returned to the World Bank with interest. The deputy general-manager of the social development cell, Mr Naseer Essani, said the fundamental purpose of the OFWM project was to increase crop production.

He said following the implementation of the project water would be saved to the extent of 30 to 40 per cent. He said if the programme was operated on the correct lines it would go a long way in eliminating poverty among the farming community.