HYDERABAD: A veteran rice grower, Umer Jamali, was quite excited about preparation of his paddy crop’s nursery in Johi taluka as his land had started receiving water after two years through the aqueduct, that had damaged in 2022 flooding and rehabilitated months later.

But his excitement proved short lived as he learnt about the damage caused to Sukkur Barrage and resultant suspension of water supplies to all its canals. The lands, be it of Umer or other growers in Johi taluka of Dadu, are fed through the non-perennial Dadu canal, which emanates from Sukkur Barrage.

Umer had started receiving water from June 1 -- luckily in time – for paddy cultivation but only after two years’ gap.

Upper Sindh’s Johi taluka where he has his lands, had been without irrigation water supplies since 2022 flooding that had caused collapse of the old Kali Mori aqueduct.

The aqueduct ensures water supplies from Johi branch of Dadu canal in Umer’s area. The old aqueduct structure’s repairs were delayed and so was installation of a new aqueduct. Upper Sindh region gets water flows for six months in a year through non-perennial canal system mainly for rice cultivation. “We are lately provided water through the new aqueduct,” says Umer Jamali.

The emergency at Sukkur Barrage has left Umer disappointed again. “We don’t know when we are going to receive water now for our rice crop whose cultivation had just started and soon came news of the damage to the barrage’s gates on Thursday evening,” Umer told Dawn over phone.

Kharif crops under threat

The June 20 damage to the 92-year-old barrage, built in 1932 during colonial regime, don’t bode well for farm sector and for growers. It’s dealt a severe blow to Kharif crops cultivation when they need water.

Irrigation authorities, on the other hand, are seeking reduction in water flows from Indus River System Authority (Irsa) for Sindh due to present situation. This year, better irrigation water flows came as a good omen for Sindh’s province and Irsa had promised to provide Accord-based water supplies to provinces.

But the emergency at Sukkur Barrage seems to have offset everything and elderly Umer Jamali couldn’t help hide his anguish as he was going to lose his paddy nurseries and suffer monetary loses. “Not only expenses incurred on nursery will be lost but chances of re-growing crop now look dim [in view of damage and rehabilitation work at the barrage]. We are back to square one,” deplores the old man. He says precious water flows are being released downstream because authorities have to start restoration work. “These flows were otherwise meant for our areas,” he moaned.

SAB says growers to suffer heavy losses

Upper Sindh growers like Khalid Khoso of Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB) who is based in Qambar-Shahdadkot regrets the situation. “It is just pathetic,” he says, fearing losses in paddy nurseries for which hybrid imported seed is used which costs around Rs5,000 per kg besides use of pesticides and miscellaneous expenses for land preparation,” he remarks.

Since his land, like Umer Jamali’s, got timely water for this Kharif, he had prepared his land for transplanting crop from nurseries. “Nobody knows when flows will now be made available,” wonders Khoso while rejecting irrigation officials’ claim that a trunk of tree had dislocated the gate No. 47 which then submerged.

Ishaq Mughairi, another farmer from Khoso’s district, had not prepared nursery so his money to that extent remained unspent. Other growers in his area did prepare their lands due to timely provision of water, a rare phenomenon in the area for Kharif.

‘Poor maintenance despite huge spending’

“I believe Sukkur barrage is not being looked after properly despite being an asset. Engineers get allocations for maintenance of structure and, therefore, such a damage is not understandable despite that much allocation of funds,” he says.

Like Jamali and Khoso, Mughairi is concerned about water availability even in July when sowing time might have been passed. “Everything takes time. Restoration work is to start and pond level has to be maintained successfully. The non-perennial North Western Canal (NWC) is to be provided water which brings water to my area. So, there are still many a slip between the cup and the lips,” he adds. The only positive thing so far for the area is that his area has received rainfall recently, he says.

SCA wants inspection of other gates as well

Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) vice president Nabi Bux Sathio considers it a disaster for growers of seven canals. “So-called experts of irrigation will install gate owing to public pressure without taking into account assessment of all gates of barrage,” he claims. He says that the factors leading to washing away of a gate should be analysed. It must have affected adjacent gate’s working,” he adds.

Minister promises early rehabilitation

Sindh irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro observes that concerted efforts were underway to resume water supplies in canals as quickly as possible. He said it was such a gigantic task that was being handled due to this emergency. He pointed out that Chinese engineers were also busy working along with irrigation staff and officers at the barrage.

Irrigation authorities have not yet figured out what had actually caused damage to the gates. They have, however, retrieved the gate No. 44. It’s being repaired at barrage while gate No. 47 has been pulled out though it is still under water.

Sindh Irrigation Secretary Zarif Khero says insofar as gate No. 47 was concerned, they were struggling to put caisson gate in its place before removing it from the arch and build a cofferdam. “Once cofferdam is built, barrage’s pond level would be maintained to resume water supplies in canals. Placement of caisson gate at gate No. 47 location will help us start restoration work for putting new gate in its place,” says Khero.

According to him, the gate No. 47 which was 6ft deep under water has been pulled out but most part of it is still under water. The height of the gate is 21ft with 12ft of lower portion and 9ft of upper part). “Once cofferdam is created and caisson gate is placed, our ongoing work will be in full swing. Cofferdam will help us increase pond level at barrage so that we could start supplies in canals,” he says. Cofferdam, he says, enables engineers and labourers to dewater the area to create space for construction activity. He adds the caisson gate could be shifted to actual location through tugboat.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2024