Daily Times

LARKANA: Acute irrigation water shortage has forced the irrigation department officials for the first time to manage the flow of water in Rice Canal, solely built to facilitate the rice growers of upper Sindh, as they have started giving water to other regulators, watercourses and drains turn by turn.

The water shortage is calculated to be up to 60% due to which rice crop sowing has been delayed in rural Sindh causing hardships for the poor farmers. Many drains are still awaiting water due to which the growers are facing serious troubles as most of them have not even sown the paddy saplings.

According to Water Accord of 1991, water is to be left in Rice Canal by the end of May or during the first week of June every year even if there is shortage of water but this year it was delayed for unknown reasons, and inappropriate water was discharged into Rice Canal.

The irrigation officials confirm that Sindh is facing 40% shortage but actually, as the growers claim, it is over 60%. They said that 6200 cusecs water is flowing in Rice Canal instead of 17000 cusecs currently. They further alleged that 10800 cusecs are being discharged into Rice Canal from Sukkur Barrage out of which 4600 cusecs are given to Warah Branch from Ruk Complex.

The growers further told this Scribe that they will be economically ruined if proper water is not provided to them and the rice cultivation will suffer the most. They said 10% paddy saplings have so far been sown out of nine lakh acres which means the crop will be very much delayed. They said that water is discharged into Rice Canal in May and it remains empty after 22nd October annually.

Sindh Chamber of Agriculture President Siraj-ul-Oliya Rashdi told this Scribe on Monday evening that we have informed about the water situation to the agriculture minister Khair Muhammad Junejo today in a meeting at Tando Jam who assured that shortage will soon be overcome as Sindh is facing shortage from upstream.

He said if paddy cultivation is harmed it will create lot of problems including law & order, shifting of people from rural to urban areas and other economic hazards for which ‘only government will be responsible’.  Rashdi added he also submitted an application to the CJP apprising him about water shortage in Sindh during his recent visit to Larkana ‘reply of which is still awaited’.