Project Director National Programme for Improvement of Water Courses (NPIWC) Sindh Muhammad Younus Daga has said that out of 33000 targeted water courses, 11000 water courses had been lined till date under 5 year project of NPIWC launched in 2004.
Talking to journalists after inaugural session of two-day training workshop on NPIWC at local hotel, he said Provincial management of NPIWC had recommended the Federal government for three years extension in stipulated period for completion the project as it was difficult to complete lining of remaining 22000 water courses by the end of 2008.
Younus Daga said that the request for the extension in project did not mean the pace of work on the project was slow, but the target of 33000 watercourses was too high as compared to time limit.
He said that the performance of NPIWC could be gauged with this fact that during last 27 years 6500 watercourses had been lined while under NPIWC 11000 watercourses had been lined within two years.
He said that programme monitoring unit was using satellite (GIS) technology for implementation of NPIWC. To a question Project Director NPIWC said that as many as Rs 7 billion so far had been distributed among 11000 farmers Associations while 18000 applications of Farmers Associations were in pending for implementation.
However, he said, Rs 300 million have been reported as outstanding against the 500 farmers Associations due to their lesser work or not starting lining work on their water courses.
He said that out of Rs 300 million, Rs 50 million have been recovered from the defaulting farmers associations, adding that all the DCOs of the province have been directed either to get lining work done by concerned farmers associations or recover the remaining amount of Rs 250 million from them.