A relatively smaller district — Tando Allahyar — has many distinctive features. Notwithstanding the district’s size, its potential and contribution to the farm sector are undoubtedly immense. Otherwise a purely rural district, its farmlands are being converted into housing schemes.

Once part of the larger urban centre Hyderabad, it emerged as a separate district in 2004 in General Parvez Musharraf’s regime which divided Hyderabad divided into four districts. It elected Dr Rahila Magsi, an energetic woman, as its first district nazim in the 2005’s partyless local government polls after Nafisa Shah and Faryal Talpur were elected in the 2001 polls. She, along with her brother Dr Irfan Magsi, succeeded in bringing about infrastructural growth to a great extent in a short span of time amidst the regime’s backing to benefit the rural/urban population.

It was named after Mir Allahyar Khan in 1790 during the Talpur dynasty and then became a taluka in 1854. Located near the ancient site of Aghamkot, it borders Badin as well as Mirpurkhas, Sanghar and Matiari districts. Young Arab general and conqueror Mohammad bin Qasim had stayed at Aghamkot after landing in Sindh. Aghamkot was governed by Raja Agham until Raja Chach, a Brahmin and father of Raja Dahir ousted him. Raja Dahir was killed by Qasim.

Men like Khalil Khoso and Yaqoob Arisar, a college teacher, with a keen interest in history share an interesting fact. “Rajar Dahar’s torso lies buried in Tando Allahyar 12-13km east of it in Missan area, says Mr Arisar. “After a battle between the armies of Mohammad Bin Qasim and Raja, Dahar’s head was sent to Hajjaj Bin Yusuf and his torso was buried near Missan, Tando Allahyar. We can debate this account,” insists Khalil Khoso, an Arabic teacher. Their claim – subject to historical verification – has a greater historical significance for this area.

Issues concerning the cotton crop force growers to go for sugarcane cultivation first regardless of the price controversy

A famous folk wisdom character Watayo Faqir, considered an equivalent to Mullah Naseeruddin of Central Asia and known for his wisecracks, is the identity of Tando Allahyar. He had lived in Aghamkot and was banished by rulers for his witticism. Watayo, a Hindu man, had converted to Islam to become Shaikh Tahir. People go to his grave to pay their respects and have their prayers answered.

Tando Allahyar is blessed with some of the best agricultural soil in Pakistan.Locals believe the area had served as the old River Indus’s bed centuries back, which is why the land is fertile. Except for a few pockets where land is marginally saline or has average soil fertility, the rest is class-I land as per university experts.

The area is fed by the perennial canal systems of Nara and Rohri canals of Sukkur barrage. Both canals’ systems — the Naseer branch of Rohri canal and the West Jamrao of Nara canal — irrigate the area to make its landscape lush green. The Naseer branch and its off-taking systems feed 155,728 acres of land in Tando Allahyar. While the Naseer branch feeds large swathes of Tando Allahyar, water flows from the West Branch of the Nara canal are for those who matter in Sindh’s political system.

West Branch takes off from twin Jamrao and 41 direct outlets (DOs) are sanctioned on the branch’s right side. “These DOs were allowed against the natural flow of water as the branch is supposed to feed land on its left side alone. ‘Zardari minor’ is also one of 41 DOs that irrigate Zardaris’ lands,” says an official.

He adds that the water allowance for this DO has been revised upwards i.e. from 10.3 cusecs to 12.64 cusecs to irrigate 4,545 acres. “DOs get plenty of water for all crops,” quips a competent official. “Truly DOs in canals are considered a curse insofar as water is concerned for irrigation purposes,” says a senior irrigation officer.

“There are negative points attach to the concept of DOs,” he explains that “DOs disrupt flow regime of a canal, are exempted even when there is rotation in canals and above all Dos deprive lower riparian of due share of water”.

Tando Allahyar agricultural diversity is just amazing with sugarcane, mango and banana orchard farms dominating the area. Such large scale horticulture activity shows the size of the agriculture economy. Orchards are owned by big agriculture landowners whilst small- and medium-size growers opt for smaller crops.

“Tando Allahyar has class-I and II soils as per land classification parameters that define eight different kinds of lands,” says the head of the soil sciences department of Sindh Agriculture University (SAU), Professor Inayat Rajpar. “After class I & II, limitations for agriculture land start that means only some particular crop or agriculture activity can take place there,” he says.

In the last few years, the conversion of agricultural land into commercial housing schemes is being observed here like in other cities. Housing schemes off main Hyderabad-Tando Allahyar road and in parts of the district have started dotting the otherwise clean and green landscape. More are to crop up. Availability of data as to the ratio of such conversion, however, eludes everyone.

Cash crop cotton is grown here but losing area slowly. It ends up being damaged in the monsoon season due to the non-existent drainage system as the crop is climate-sensitive. It once again happened in 2020 when cotton achieved acreage of 22,256ha that plummeted to 5,567ha after the crop was washed away by rains.

Issues concerning cotton crop force growers to go for sugarcane cultivation first regardless of the price controversy involving sugar millers and farmers. “With no new seeds being introduced, cotton faces challenges including the lack of regulations,” says a progressive growers’ leader, Mahmood Nawaz Shah.

The existence of three sugar factories makes this small district a centre of sugarcane cultivation where sugarcane’s kingdom remains intact despite its highs and lows. One of the factories is owned by a top political family that owns multiple mills to stake a claim in the sugar industry. Statistics show Tando Allahyar’s share in sugarcane’s acreage was 7.18pc out of 279,472 in 2018, 7pc out of 286,090 in 2019, 6.22pc out of 286,090ha in 2020.

Besides mills, cotton ginning factories are located in Tando Allahyar which serves as a hub of vegetables — green chillies, okra, onion and guwar. The Ismaili community mostly dominates the vegetable business in Sultanabad’s wholesale market that feeds Karachi metropolis substantially. Prince Karim Aga Khan had visited Sultanabad and Tando Allahyar to meet the community.

Among veggies, the nasarpuri variety of onion is harvested at a large scale in the Nasarpur area of Tando Allahyar that contributes to onion’s export in big numbers. Nasarpur is also famous for handicrafts, kashi tiles and pottery.

Syeds, Bachanis, Legharis, Magsis, Pitafis, Rizvis, Khokhars, Loonds, Dals Lasharis are old political families with substantial farmland ownership. Khanzadas and Qaimkhanis and other migrant communities live in substantial numbers in the city. Over the last several years others — Zardaris — have outshone these families in Tando Allahyar. Locals believe they own 7,000-8,000 acres of land, besides a manor (under construction) surrounded by high-density mango orchards.

Recently, the district got national recognition when a Hindu sculptor from this area produced a full-figure statue of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah that was installed in Ziarat residency. Faqeero Solanki — known as the Michael Angelo of Sindh — was conferred the presidential award last year for his work.

Tando Allahyar remains politically vibrant. Iconic politician Benazir Bhutto chose to contest the 1997 polls — which proved to be the last elections of her political life — from here for the national assembly seat besides Larkana. She won, defeating Dr Rahila Magsi’s father late Raees Allah Bux Magsi. Now her daughter, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari has gotten her vote registered in taluka Jhando Marri of the district. It shows Tando Allahyar will be as relevant in politics as ever.

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, May 31st, 2021