Daily Times

Spate irrigation is an ancient practice by which floodwater is diverted from its river bed and channeled to basins where it is used to irrigate crops and feed drinking-water ponds, serve forest and grazing land and recharge local aquifers.

Nai Gaj, one of the largest Nai also called Gaj River Originates from Khuzdar Balochistan and after inundating waste plains of Kachho from Nai Gaj Rest House point, releases in Manchar Lake.

Historically, Nai Gaj flowed to river Indus and after construction of irrigation system in barrages area of Taluka Johi, the British diverted Nai Gaj’s water first by constructing Flood Protection Bund above Johi Taluka headquarter and then a 10 miles Boulder Diversion Bund called Teer Bhit in 1930s to save barrage area irrigation infrastructure and human population from flood damage and bring large tracts of land under cultivation downstream to Mancha.

The upstream land owners and farmers maintain that as historically most of midstream and whole area of downstream including Manchar lake did not receive Nai Gaj water and it flowed from Pat point to Indus river in the east, thus according to them the downstream have no historical right on Nai Gaj water. The part of mid-stream and whole downstream farmers held that by diverting water from Nai Gaj from Nai Gaj Dam through newly and old lined water channels to northern parts would affect their livelihood sources and Manchar lake. Similarly due to nature, volume, consistence and intensity of the Nai Gaj flow there are different rules and methods of water management and distribution at up, mid and downstream. For example at upstream there are main water channels and their small water courses at Qasbo, Pat Gul Muhammad, Ladho Dero etc where small chhabs or diversion are erected using stones, branches of the trees, plastics sheets etc to divert enough but not all water to Karo wah, Gul Muhammad Wah, Nao wah and other main Wahs channels at RDs and rest of water is allowed to flow downwards. This water is transparent and called black as is apparent from the name of one of the wah, karo or black wah. This water brings no slit and thus soil texture is markedly different ie hard and less fertile.

The upstream land owners and farmers maintain that as historically most of midstream and whole area of downstream including Manchar Lake did not receive Nai Gaj water and it flowed from Pat Point to Indus River in the east, thus according to them the downstream have no historical right on Nai Gaj water

However at midstream and downstream, the large soil earthen bunds are erected with a water master taking charge at the main gandha. Cost ranging from 100,000 to 200,0000 or more and in rare cases water is released to even those who could not pay required donation. Crop mostly grows on first irrigation and soil is highly fertile and soft due to high degree of slit brought by Nai flow. From ghandho or bund water is distributed through waqara. Traditional water rights and distribution methods are also markedly different. Some farmers have no water rights as they purchased their lands without water rights are sold their share of water but kept the land such farmers without water rights can only get their lands irrigated when there is extra water.

The 1995 devastating flood not only caused loss to life but damaged community water infrastructure. Three permanent sluices or water channels were completely destroyed and haven’t be restored as yet. Due to poverty caused by the 1995 floods also sapped the affording power of the farmers to regularly construct earthen bunds to divert the water to the field. After 20 years some daring leaders of communities came forward to construct the Gandho and village Bahawl Babar, Fatih Brohi, Shahak Rodani but not regualrly. Karam Ali Rustmani water master at Bahal Jo Gandho shared that he and his likeminded friends gathered to construct a ganda. When donation collected from farmers runes short we leaders have to bear the remaining expenses from our own pockets and sometimes we are repaired by farmers when the crops is harvested but in case bund breaks and crop does not mature our all expenses are lost. He said that he don’t have his land but in a spirt to serve the communities came forward to assume leadership when none was ready and sold his only asset of motorbike to meet the remaining expenses.

Karam Ali Rustmani is not alone, Mr Imdad Leghari, Mr Fatah Dahri, Piyaro Khan Lund, Razaq Babr, Mr Allhaya Khan Rodnani among others are the persons who have dedicated their lives and meager resources for the mission to maintain this wonderful irrigation stem. Mr Razaq Babar shared that in 20 years gap, when the bunds were not built, the water table got extremely down, flora and fauna disappeared and the poverty skyrocketed as agriculture and livestock the main source of the livelihood depleted. But now this ecosystem is reviving.

The Nai Gaj Spate irrigation system is not only livelihood sources to more 150,000 souls of semi desert area of Kachho but source of organic chemical and fertiliser free food, repository of now fast depleting natural resources and archeological and historical sites.

This solely community managed system runs without any government support and regulation. The dispute ratio on water distribution is minimum and exquisitely managed by community elders. According to farmers leaders government working without consultation of farmers is creating hindrances. Wahi johi road infrastructure is built without construction of drainage of water to southern part by put in culverts and small bridges hinders water to thousands of acres of land in downstream south. The recent successive flows of Nai Gaj brought smiles on the face of drought affected spate irrigation farming communities and they constructed Bahawal Gandho at midstream which have capacity irrigate mid-stream and downstream fields in but the poorly constructed Johi wahi road with few culverts broke down from many parts and the government rushed to plug these. Police was reported to take action against another illegal and was road blockade at another point. Farmers complained that f government had put in place enough culverts and bridges in road the road haven’t broken and the water had smoothly flowed to the downstream. And if whole system is managed by communities without any government support and regulation and government did not come to the rescue of the people when they are suffering log spell of drought and nai water drains away into Machar without irrigating a single piece of land but when people construct diversion structure from their hard saved money, the government never hesitates to declare any of these illegal to hide its inefficiency. The farmers lamented that Small dams department, spate irrigation research center, Nai Gaj Dam department, roads and public health and engineering department, agriculture extension and host of other departments are working in isolation without any coordination with and support to this spate irrigation system which has been rendered orphan. There is need of high coordination in putting in place at least 8 bridges in wahi johi road and government support in revitalizing this system which not only provides livelihood sources to the local residents but keeps delicate balance of environment intact and greatly complements the economy of the taluka johi and District Dadu. The coordination committee of farmers leaders and local government, and concerned line government departments, local journalists with participation of female farmers and other concerned departments is urgent need of hours.

The writer can be reached at gulsherp@yahoo.com