HYDERABAD: Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority chairman Abdul Basit Soomro has said poor condition of Akram Wah (lined irrigation channel) is the major irritant in the supply of water to the tail-end areas of Badin district.

Speaking to farmers during his visit to various sections of the channel and later meeting farmers at Alipur Regulator in the district, he said that a plan to rehabilitate the channel had been chalked out.

He found that concrete slabs placed along the dyke of the channel, which had completely been lined in the past, had fallen inside it and this was affecting its water discharge capacity. He noted that the water discharge capacity had diminished significantly.

The Sida chairman revealed that Akram Wah was not carrying the designed discharge from day one due to a technical fault. “Therefore, it is always fed through Phulelli Canal to meet the deficit”, he said, adding that Sindh government had now decided to rehabilitate it and soon a feasibility study would be started. He said its rehabilitation would help improve water supply to tail-end areas of Badin.

‘Akram Wah not carrying designed discharge from day one’

Mr Soomro noted that water theft by unscrupulous elements was another big reason behind failure to ensure water supply to the channel’s tail-end areas. He said that action should be taken against all such elements.

Left Bank Canal’s area water board chairman Qabool Mohammad Khatian said that there had been many complaints about unavailability of water in Badin’s tail-end areas. “That’s why we are visiting different sections of the channel right from its head to the Alipur Regulator,” he said, adding that engineers were asked to remove illegally fixed water-lifting machines and get FIRs lodged against water thieves.

He warned that the engineer concerned would face departmental action if these machines were not removed by his next visit to the channel.

Sida managing director Wali Mohammad Naich called for provision of funds and machinery to remove the concrete slabs from the channel. He said that he had already directed the officials concerned to address those issues which could be resolved easily.

He said that all issues would be covered in the feasibility study [for the rehabilitation of the channel], which would also suggest solutions.

Grand operation against water theft planned

The AWB chairman Mr Khatian also chaired a meeting of the board here on Tuesday to discuss measures to check water theft and ensure a smooth flow of adequate water up to the tail-end areas of Badin district.

Members of the board identified the factors contributing to the issue and stressed the need for carrying out a grand operation to check water theft.

They said water-lifting machines, illegally fixed pipes and breaking of modules to steal water or divert its flow in the left bank canals were the practices that created the problem.

Mr Khatian sought consent of the board members for the operation which they agreed to. He said notices would be issued to farmers asking them to draw water in line with their specified measurement of watercourses and pipes. Subsequently, he added, the water-lifting machines would be removed after one week’s time.

He said open katchehries (public hearings) would be held in Tando Mohammad Khan and Badin districts to hear farmers’ complaints in the presence of the officials concerned.

The meeting decided to share figures of watercourses, machines, pipes and their sizes with law enforcing agencies personnel so that the engineers and officials concerned as well as the security personnel could check them in their surprise visits.

The meetings decided to form several committees comprising board members and engineers to supervise the grand operation. The AWB chairman directed officers to issue such notices as soon as possible to make arrangements for the repair of broken modules and damaged watercourses.

He called for utilising all available resources in this regard.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2020