THATTA, May 24: Implementation of a recently approved water supply project of Karachi Water and Sewerage Board will cause water shortage in Thatta and render over 300,000 acres of fertile land barren, according to water experts, parliamentarians, growers and nationalist leaders.

The K-IV, which envisages supply of 1200 cusecs of water per day to Karachi, in addition to the three existing schemes for supply of water to the metropolis from Keenjhar Lake, was approved recently.

Water expert Obhayo Khan Khushik, a retired executive engineer of the irrigation department, said Karachi was already availing 1200 cusecs (600 million gallons) from Keenjhar Lake.

According to him, the Kalri Baghar feeder, originating from Kotri Barrage, not only supplied water to Karachi but also irrigated 700,000 acres of fertile land in its command area in coastal talukas of Thatta, Ghorabari, Mirpur Sakro, Keti Bunder and Kharochhan.

Humera Alwani, a PPP MPA, termed it unfair to reduce Thatta’s water share to meet Karachi’s needs, saying that she would take up the matter with authorities concerned.

She complained that the districts of Thatta, Badin, Hyderabad and Tando Muhammad Khan were being given a negligible volume of water per day on the pretext of shortage.

Sadiq Ali Memon, an MPA, said implementation of K-IV project without consulting Irsa would endanger the economy, especially the agriculture sector, of Thatta district.

He said KB Feeder upper irrigated over 700,000 acres in five coastal talukas of Ghorabari, Kharochhan, Mirpur Sakro, Thatta and Keti Bunder on the right bank of Indus, besides providing water to Karachi through Keenjhar lake.

Mr Memon said Karachi had been receiving 1200 cusecs of water per day from Thatta irrigation system and a project like K-IV would ruin Thatta, adding that the Sindh irrigation department had already expressed reservations over implementation of K-IV.Sindh Culture Minister Sassui Palijo said Thatta and Badin had lost 1.2 million acres of fertile land due to sea intrusion caused by non-release of water downstream Kotri. Further diversion of Thatta’s water to Karachi would render agricultural land in coastal areas barren, she added.

President of the Chamber of Agriculture Syed Shahzad Shah Hussaini, Awami Tehrik leader Qadir Ranto, agronomist Malik Luqman Malkani and Ashraf Khushik of the Jeay Sindh Mahaz said KB Feeder which fed five coastal talukas and Keenjhar carried only 7,000 cusecs during Kharif season out of its discharge capacity of 9000 cusecs of water due to silting and lack of maintenance for years.

Diversion of water to Karachi from the system would definitely hit Thatta’s agricultural economy, they said.

They suggested that since people from all parts of the country lived in Karachi, the four federating units should contribute to its water supply. Besides, latest technologies should be tapped to convert oceanic water into sweet water to overcome the water crisis in Karachi.