A three-day capacity building workshop has been organized on “Institutional Strengthening of Project Coordination and Monitoring Unit (PCMU)” for preparations on resettlement action plan in the flood affected areas.

The workshop has been organized in Sindh Agriculture University in collaboration with Project Coordination and Monitoring Unit, Planning and Development, Government of Sindh on water-related policies and practices, and focusing on Sindh Water and Agriculture Transformation (SWAT) Project, according to a press release received by WealthPK.

The three-day workshop will train officers of different departments of the Government of Sindh on water management and agriculture. Departments of Agricultural Research and Extension, Agricultural Marketing, Irrigation, Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority, AWB, and Planning and Development, will be participating in the workshop.

Dr Fateh Marri, Vice Chancellor of Sindh Agriculture University, during his address at the workshop said that the effects of floods will be felt for a long time to come. We need to ramp up efforts for sustainable solutions to the devastation caused by floods.

 “Resettlement and rehabilitation plans should be devised in such a manner that risk-mitigation in case of future disasters can be ensured. Also, use of underwater sources should be done in an economical manner along with adopting best practices in agriculture,” he said.

He lamented the lack of progress in RBOD and LBOD projects, saying that had these projects been completed we might not have seen the devastation caused by floods in 2010, 2011, and 2022. We need to adopt the methods of canal agriculture and arid agriculture to be ready against future calamities, he added.

General Manager of SIDA Ghulam Mustafa Ujjan informed the participants about the structure of the workshop and the institutions participating in it. He expressed hope that the workshop will bring positive results for flood victims and farmers in irrigation related problems.

Dr Islamuddin Rajput, Director of Agricultural Extension, said that agriculture departments of Sindh will liaise with Sindh Agriculture University to come up with methods for sustenance of agriculture and irrigation in the province.

Manzoor Ahmed Baloch, Director General of Agriculture Marketing Sindh, informed that due to floods, agricultural production and especially agricultural costs have increased, while certified seeds have also become a major issue.

Training organizer of the workshop Dr Jam Ghulam Murtaza Sahito said that four such trainings will be organized, with each having nine sessions on technical aspects. These sessions, he said, will be interactive followed by a questions and answers session. These trainings are open for academics, and agriculture, irrigation, P&D and SIDA officials.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk