ActionAid surveys on the impact of the project confirmed that most farmers did not have the expertise, time or funds to manage watercourses properly. It also says the potential for monopolisation by wealthy farmers was high. In addition, it emerged that cartels of wealthy farmers had been formed, many of whom were local irrigation department officials, further unbalancing the distribution of water, he said. Tensions are rising between upstream Punjab and downstream Sind provinces. A main challenge was to overcome regional rivalries in water allocation.
Similar tensions occur on a regional level.
He said that the canals in the Punjab were full, whereas they had all dried up in Sindh. This was already easing the situation, leading to a recent agreement to release water earlier in the season to ensure that it reached Sindh's irrigation network a month later, in time for crops, Khan said. Bari envisaged a far more proactive approach. He said there were a host of measures that the authorities should be acting on, such as launching a national campaign to save water. People who have very little water are aware of the need.