IRRIGATION REFORMS IN PUNJAB PAKISTAN: REVIEW OF IMT MODEL AND FRAMEWORK

The new demands and challenges for food production and security combined with the persistent poor performance of the agency-managed irrigation system in Pakistan has led the Government of Pakistan to transfer the management of irrigation systems from provincial irrigation agencies to Farmer Organizations through the Provincial Irrigation and Drainage Authorities (PIDAs). In the Punjab, pilot Area Water Board (AWB) has been established and irrigation management has been transferred to 85 Farmers organizations (FOs). This paper reviews and evaluates the existing institutional and legal framework, implementation model & methods as well as the roles & responsibilities of the stakeholders by taking the Punjab province as a case study with a purpose to analyze the existing reform structure and process in terms of providing opportunities for establishing and strengthening autonomous sustainable institutions at all levels of the reform process. The institutional & legal framework as well as the structure and functions of stakeholders are well defined and the reforms have taken off but yet there are certain doubts and fears about its sustainability. The on-going reforms is influence by a number of internal and external factors; like the opposition from stakeholders themselves, changes in leadership, influence of personalities, lack of political commitment, lack of consistency & continuity and the change in the strategy and implementation model. What is needed for successful sustainable reforms is a strong commitment of all the stakeholders, devoted leadership and collective actions of the farming community under existing socio-political and environmental realities of Pakistani system.