Secretary GOB Irrigation Department

Hon’able Minister for Irrigation Department, Mir Sadiq Umrani, visited Secretary Government of Balochistan Irrigation Department, Sohail-ur-Rehman. Additional Secretary Mr. Zia-ur-Rehman and Section Officer (B&A) Mr. Anjum Bashir were also present during the meeting.

FAO successfully concluded a four-day capacity development training on “Advancing Irrigation through Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)” in Quetta, bringing together officers from the Irrigation Department of the Government of Balochistan.

Organized under the EU-funded Revival of Balochistan Water Resources Programme (RBWRP), the training equipped Executive Engineers (XENs) and Sub-Divisional Officers (SDOs) and with practical knowledge and modern tools for climate-smart irrigation planning, groundwater monitoring, drought assessment, remote sensing, water productivity analysis, and sustainable water governance.
The training also promoted integrated and inclusive approaches to water management, including nature-based solutions such as karez systems, spate irrigation, groundwater recharge, and gender-responsive planning.

Mr. Waleed Mahdi, Head of Office and International Programme Coordinator, FAO, highlighted that sustained investment in government capacity is key to enabling evidence-based planning and effective implementation of water sector reforms under climate stress.

Speaking at the closing ceremony,
Mr. Zia Ur Rehman, Additional Secretary, Government of Balochistan, Irrigation Department emphasized the importance of strengthening institutional capacity to operationalize integrated water management in response to growing water and climate challenges.

کوئٹہ: ڈپٹی سیکرٹری آبپاشی نظام رحیم بلوچ کی زیرِ صدارت ضلع کوئٹہ میں زیرِ زمین پانی کے سروے سے متعلق ایک اہم اجلاس منعقد ہوا۔

اجلاس میں چیف انجینئر واسا محمد رمضان، بین الاقوامی واٹر انسٹی ٹیوٹ کے ڈپٹی کنٹری نمائندہ ڈاکٹر محمد ارشد، فوڈ اینڈ ایگریکلچر آرگنائزیشن کے نمائندہ طلال نصیر، چیف ہائیڈرولوجسٹ حمیداللہ اور ڈپٹی ڈائریکٹر جوڈیشل محمد آصف اچکزئی نے شرکت کی۔

اجلاس میں ضلع کوئٹہ میں زیرِ زمین پانی کی موجودہ صورتحال، اس کے مؤثر استعمال اور مستقبل میں ممکنہ قلت سے نمٹنے کے لیے مختلف پہلوؤں پر تفصیلی تبادلۂ خیال کیا گیا۔ ماہرین نے پانی کے ذخائر کے تحفظ، جدید سروے طریقہ کار کے استعمال اور اعداد و شمار کی بنیاد پر منصوبہ بندی کی ضرورت پر زور دیا۔

ڈپٹی سیکرٹری آبپاشی نے ہدایت کی کہ زیرِ زمین پانی کے وسائل کی نگرانی کو مزید مؤثر بنایا جائے اور تمام متعلقہ ادارے باہمی تعاون کے ذریعے پائیدار حل یقینی بنائیں تاکہ کوئٹہ میں پانی کے بحران پر قابو پایا جا سکے

Secretary, Government of Balochistan, Irrigation Department, Mr. Sohail-ur-Rehman, paid a visit to the Hon’ble Minister for Irrigation, Mir Sadiq Umrani, to discuss matters related to the department and ongoing development initiatives. Section Officer (B&A), Mr. Anjum Bashir, was also present during the meeting.

A meeting was held under the chairmanship of the Secretary, Government of Balochistan, Irrigation Department, with the delegation of the Pakistan Balochistan Livelihoods Support Project (BLSP) Mission.

The meeting was also attended by Additional Secretary Irrigation Mr. Zia-ur-Rehman, Chief Engineer Irrigation Mr. Bashir Tareen, Deputy Secretary (Technical) Mr. Salah-ud-Din, and Section Officer (B&A) Mr. Anjum Bashir.

The discussion focused on matters of mutual interest, including ongoing development initiatives and collaboration under the BLSP framework aimed at strengthening livelihoods and irrigation infrastructure in Balochistan.