SCARP TRANS. II

closed

The main objectives of the Second SCARP Transition Project are to: (a) increase agricultural production through improved and timely availability of supplementary irrigation; (b) maintain an appropriate groundwater table to prevent waterlogging and salinity; (c) remove the budgetary burden of operation and maintenance and replacement expenditures on SCARP tubewells (STWs) by replacing them with private tubewells (PTWs); (d) test the viability of SCARP transition in Sindh; and (e) prepare a follow-up project for larger scale replacement of STWs. To achieve these objectives, the project comprises: (a) replacement of 1,346 STWs in Punjab and 380 STWs in Sindh, through installation of 14,800 PTWs by farmers in both provinces; (b) improvement of about 500 watercourses in Punjab to facilitate interfarm distribution and sharing of pumped groundwater by PTWs jointly owned by small farmers; (c) provision of consultants to assist project implementation, in the preparation of hydrogeological and impact evaluation studies, and future SCARP transition projects; and (d) training.