SINDH’S irrigation canals are facing severe water shortage, which is affecting the sowing of early Kharif crops. The shortage will worsen as demand for water increases.

“It seems to have become a rule rather than exception that water supply is not ensured even during Kharif season”, says Sindh Abadgar Board (Sab) President Abdul Majeed Nizamani. Farmers need water to prepare nurseries of rice crop in early May in upper Sindh region while in Kotri barrage’s command area; water flow is required in April. The shortage is seriously affecting rice sowing.

According to initial assessment, Sukkur and Kotri barrages are facing 30 per cent and 50 per cent shortage respectively as of May 14. Currently, the right bank canals of Sukkur and Guddu barrages are closed for de-silting and annual maintenance. Rice bank canal is scheduled to open before May 20 for rice cultivation under a high court’s decision given last year. According to officials, shortage may rise to 40 per cent in upper Sindh areas once the right bank canals of Sukkur barrage start drawing water.

Other barrages in Sindh are also facing water crisis including Nara canal of Sukkur barrage which irrigates lands in Mirpurkhas and Sanghar districts, Rohri canal and Khairpur Feeder East and West of Sukkur barrage. Dadu canal, which mainly feeds rice growing areas, is the worst sufferer drawing just 1,000 cusec of water, one-fifth of its demand.

Initially, Kotri barrage was getting 10,000 cusec of water but as of May 14 the flow shot down to 8,550 cusec against the requirement of 15,700.

Tarbela dam is receiving an inflow of 40,000 cusec with an outflow of 35,000 cusec. According to a barrage official — who monitors the water supplies within Sindh and releases from Indus River System Authority (Irsa) — the level will improve with inflows from Kabul which itself depends on rainfall.

However, this will take at least 12 days to materialise gains for Sindh. “We don’t get any flows from Mangla dam as far as water provision is concerned which is usually filled with eastern rivers”, he adds.

Water supplies are apportioned in line with 10 daily allocations for each barrage’s canals under Water Apportionment Accord 1991. Under the mechanism Sindh’s share is 64,140 cusec at Guddu barrage upstream; however, as of now the flow is limited to 51,440 cusec.

The 7,740 cusec of water allocated for Guddu barrage, which is lying closed, has been channellised towards Sukkur and Kotri as well.

In order to counter the severity of water shortage that would go up as Kharif season settles in, irrigation authorities have designed area-specific rotation programme for canal closure to ensure maximum water supply to all areas. The programme has been sent to chief engineers of barrages for implementation.

Nizamani links water shortage with Irsa, the top water regulatory body. “The entire water distribution system revolves around Irsa’s decisions and Sindh is always at the losing end”, he complains, adding that ever since Irsa’s federal representative, Bashir Dahar, quit his post in October 2010, Sindh’s water woes have multiplied.

“The federal government’s representative in Irsa should essentially be from Sindh as per constitutional cover given during Musharraf regime to safeguard Sindh’s water interests in early 2000”, Nizamani says, arguing that Asjad Imtiaz, who’s now hold the position is an ex-officio member of Irsa, and does not have the right to vote for a decision on water allocation.

Sindh had opposed water supplies for power generation purposes from Tarbela dam but it was allowed by Irsa. Then Chashma-Jehlum canal was opened in March despite Irsa’s objection and on the basis of voting. The cumulative effect has resulted in the crop cycle getting disturbed.

Now Sindh’s crop follows crop harvesting in Punjab, a reverse of what used to happen earlier. Sab general secretary Syed Mehmood Nawaz Shah contends that adequate water flows are needed for cotton’s cultivation because of rising temperature during May since temperatures in the month usually rise higher than June and July.

Crops, particularly mango orchards need water as it is peak time for fruit’s harvest if it wants to avoid massive shedding, Shah says.