HYDERABAD: The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) has rejected appointment of a technical committee to look into the causes leading to the June 20 incident in which Sukkur Barrage’s gate No. 47 had collapsed and gate No. 47 was damaged.

The committee has been formed by the irrigation secretary with direction to submit a report within five days.

SCA President Miran Mohammad Shah on Monday urged the Sindh government to order a high-level inquiry into alleged lack of the barrage’s maintenance, financial embezzlement in repair works and the damage to the installation during abkalani period. He demanded action against errant irrigation officials after fixing responsibility.

He has also written to the irrigation secretary to convey to him SCA’s concern over the situation arising out of the incident.

According to the SCA chief, Sukkur Barrage is considered to be the lifeline for millions of people and jugular vein of Sindh’s agriculture sector. “Growers believe that corrupt and incompetent irrigation officials are trying to play with this important barrage which is tantamount to jeopardising Sindh’s destiny and existence,” he said.

The SCA president has urged the irrigation secretary to convene a meeting of agriculture experts, growers and other stakeholders to brief them on the situation. He said growers should be taken into confidence.

He said that such meeting of stakeholders should be held without delay and the participants should be apprised of the causes leading to incident.

He said that it must be explained that maintenance work was done in abkalani period or not.

Miran Shah remarked that washing away of the gate No. 47 was in fact “murder of sentiments and wishes of growers”.

He pointed out that currently paddy seed had already been sown on millions of acres and sugar cane as well as cotton crops were standing in fields. These crops needed plenty of water right now and if flows were not made available to the lands, this would cause irreparable losses to Sindh’s farm sector.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2024