Karachi: Rana Ansar, M Parkash advocate and others during moot held here in Karachi. (ENN)
KARACHI (ENN)/PR) A moot has pointed out that the water availability in Sindh was declining every year due to lack of flow of fresh water to downstream, changing weather patterns and sea water intrusion.
The speakers of moot here on Thursday, organized at local hotel by Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO) with support of Oxfam Novib further said “Sindh Water Management Ordinance (SWMO) 2002, organized by Sindh had been exclusively dependent on the Indus Basin Irrigation System (IBIS) and any disturbance in the flow of water in the IBIS had adverse impacts on agriculture, economy, ecology and supply of drinking water.
The deplorable situation of water scarcity in Sindh Province is deteriorating day by day and one of the major causes of this crisis is legislation on water governance that lacks inclusiveness of marginalized segments of society in decision making process while making legislation.
Research reveals that in Kotri Barrage Command Areas almost thirty (30) million population particularly children, women, farmers, laborers are badly affected due to the use of brackish and saline water resulting in different waterborne diseases. Besides it population around the Kotri Barrage command areas suffer from environmental degradation, unjust distribution of irrigation water and migration from water deficit areas.
It has also been noted that even middle level land holders owning 80 to 100 acres are helpless to earn their livelihood through manual labor as their lands remain dry due to the scarcity of irrigation water at the tale point of the Indus River.
During the meeting attended by relevant and key stakeholders, certain propositions were suggested to include in The Sindh Water Management Ordinance of 2002 in order to provide for the empowerment of women of Sindh in the decision making as well as to improve their socio-economic development.
It was unfolded by the General Manager Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (SIDA) that in irrigation department government of Sindh out of almost thirty three thousands human resources only three to four are women employees in the society where 51% constitute women. He agreed to the recommendations that there should be two women members in Board of Members in SIDA. Participatory irrigation system is sustainable to advocate vigorously.
Rana Ansar, General Secretary Women Parliamentarian Caucus Sindh, Nazeer Easani of SIDA, Backhshal Lashari, Dr. Fateh Mari, M. Parkash advocate, Fareeda Mahesar, Shazia Shaheen, Nuzhat Shireen Chairperson Sindh Commission on the Status of Women, Mustafa Baloch, Raheema Panwhar of SPO, Iftikhar Ahmed of AWARE and others shared their experiences and suggestions.
They proposed to amend certain sections of Sindh Water Management Ordinance of 2002 to include prominent women in water governance structures such as Area Water Boards (AWB), Water Course Associations (WCA) and Farmers’ Organizations (FOs). Participants suggested that Union Council level representation of women and Women Landless Farmer in Farmers Organizations (FOs) should be made.
