Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide $100.00 million from Ordinary Capital Resources and $50.00 million from Asian Development Fund for "Punjab Irrigated Agriculture Sector Development - Subproject-2", (PIASDP).
According to Punjab Irrigation and Power Department (PIPD)'s study report, irrigated agriculture depends on ground water for much of its production and provides flexibility in water use, which is not provided by the surface water system and is therefore, from a production view point, a very valuable resource. There are numbers of potentially serious ground water management issue to be considered and there is no effective provisions exist to manage ground water, the report said.
Recently, the Government of Punjab has launched the Punjab Irrigation Sector Reform Programme (PISRP), which is supported by a Development Policy Loan (DPL) from the World Bank. Together with the PISRP/DPL, PIASDP can provide the critical mass of effort, both in time and in financial resources, which is important in supporting the institutional strengthening and reform process. The PIASDP will support rehabilitation and modernisation of the Balloki Barrage; Lower Bari Doab Canal and its distribution system.
Presently, project consultants stated that the management of surface water drainage suffers from a lack of commitment to operation and maintenance and is also subjected to pollution by industrial users.
Commenting over the "Institutional Management", update study disclosed that sustainability of an irrigation system depends not only on the economical, technological and ecological factors, but also on the institutional framework within which these factors interact.
Management deficiencies, in the broadest sense, have been the most important constraint hindering progress in the water sector in recent years. Despite good progress with regard to the formation of Khal Panchayats and Farmers Organisations (FOs) and the signing of IMT Agreements in the LCC (East) command, the overall progress of the institutional reforms in the irrigation sector in Punjab have been (very) slow due to (a) significant resistance from IPD staff against the institutional reforms;( b) procedural delays in the preparation and promulgation of the rules and regulations related to the establishment and functioning of FOs and pilot Area Water Board (AWB); and (c) lack of commitment and support among local politicians and high level policy makers.
Pakistan's water resources need to be developed and managed in an integrated and holistic manner based on the principles of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM). This can only be achieved if an appropriate legal framework is in place that facilitates the necessary level of co-ordination within the water sector. Both the National Water Policy (NWP) and the PWSS have proposed that all afore-mentioned laws related to the management of surface and groundwater resources should be replaced by a new Water (Resources) Act, which provides a single set of rules and regulations for future water management in a sustainable manner.
In addition to the establishment of the PIDA at provincial level and AWBs at the level of main canal systems, the PIDA Act also envisages that farmer-managed, financially autonomous FOs would be formed within the new institutional framework for the irrigation sector. These FOs would be responsible for: (a) O&M of distributary (and minor) canals, including the equal distribution of canal water between all watercourses; and( b) assessment and collection of Abiana.
Irrigation Management Units: As 70 percent of the distributaries/minors in the LBDC command have Cultivable Command Areas (CCAs) smaller than 20,000 acres, the establishment of 12 or 15 IMUs with a minimum size of 100,000 acres and comprising up to 7 FOs would be an appropriate option to create sustainable entities within LBDC command.
Area Water Board: PIDA Act 1997 provides for establishment of AWBs at canal command level and FOs at distributary/minor level, which should become financially self-sustaining with regard to O&M of the irrigation and drainage infrastructure within a maximum period of 10 and 7 years respectively. An AWB could only become financially self-sustaining if farmers are willing to pay their water charges fully and timely (through their FOs), which largely depends upon the quality of the services provided as well as the accountability and transparency with regard to the use of the paid water charges.