The Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (SIDA), under the Sindh Government’s Sindh Water and Agriculture Transformation Project, supported by funding from the World Bank, is implementing a plan for the improvement and rehabilitation of the Akram Wah canal.

As part of the environmental and social impact assessment of the Akram Wah rehabilitation, a public hearing was held at the Executive Engineer Akram Wah Barrage Colony in Tando Muhammad Khan. This hearing was organized in collaboration between the World Bank, SIDA, and the Sindh Government.

The program was presided over by Imran Ali Abbasi, Regional In-charge of the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) in Hyderabad.They explained that the Akram Wah rehabilitation will cover 59 kilometers, from RD 0 to RD 193, and is scheduled to start in July 2025. The contract awarding process will be completed in July, and the entire project is expected to be completed within 3 years.

SIDA has prepared a detailed report in this regard. The purpose of this public consultation is to bring all stakeholders together to discuss environmental and social impacts during the rehabilitation process and to include those insights in a detailed report, which has been submitted to SEPA for approval.

SEPA representatives Ali Nawaz and Imran said the goal of the consultation is to gather as much information as possible from local communities and find appropriate solutions.

They appreciated the active participation of locals and noted that their questions and feedback will be presented at a second panel meeting of experts in Karachi so that their concerns and suggestions can be incorporated into the final report.

They further stated: