When elected as the Sindh chief minister, the supply of water was his second preference after the law and order, Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim said on Sunday. Addressing a gathering at Goth Saeedpur, after inspecting the revamping of the Daro Barrage by the Irrigation Department, the chief minister said that if all watercourses in the country were lined, the nation could save the water equaling the capacity of proposed Kalabagh Dam. He said that due to efforts of the provincial government, level of corruption in the irrigation department had lessened.
Dr Arbab recalled that water distribution system had been in shambles and water was being 'sold' on per-hour rate. He added that as a starter he sacked the irrigation secretary, as many deaths had occurred due to waterborne diseases in Hyderabad at that time.
The chief minister said that he gave a 15-day ultimatum to the irrigation department to improve its performance.
He said that due to better water management the province had a bumper cotton crop this year, while self-sufficiency was attained in wheat and rice.
Dr Arbab said that the irrigation department was working with full powers and had improved a lot. He claimed that those areas, which had not seen water since years, would now have plenty of it.
He said that by next year all canals would be lined with the help of the federal government and the World Bank, and a lot of water would be saved. "The watercourses are being lined on the instruction of President Musharraf," Dr Arbab added.
He said that due to untiring efforts of the Army Engineering Corps and irrigation department, the Sukkur Barrage was repaired within a short span of four-and-half months and added that had these repairs not been carried out, 70 percent of provincial agriculture would have doomed.
On the uniform issue, the chief minister said the opponents of 'uniform' used to touch feet of top army brass when they were in distress.
Earlier, Provincial Irrigation Minister Nadir Akmal Leghari said rule of merit was being implemented in the irrigation department.
He said that the army had been involved in the tenders to ensure transparency.
The minister said Sindh was striving to get its due share of water from the federal government, adding that rifts amongst the provinces and the Centre were not in the national interest.
Terming the Sukkur Barrage lifeline of Sindh, Nadir Leghari stressed on initiating a big operation to check the water theft and provide water to the tail-enders.
Earlier, State Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, Muhammad Ali Malkani, Thatta District Nazim, Shafqat Shah Sherazi and Irrigation Secretary, Ishfaque Ahmed Memon also spoke.
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