HYDERABAD, April 20: Expressing concern over artificial shortage of irrigation water, the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture has demanded that water should be released in the canals and channels to enable growers to cultivate Kharif crops.

A meeting of the chamber was held here on Sunday under the chairmanship of its senior vice-president Mir Murad Ali Talpur which discussed the problems confronting the growers.

It pointed out that no water was available in Naseer Canal and other waterways of Thatta and Badin as a result of which the growers were unable to cultivate Kharif crops.

It said that the growers have already suffered huge losses in wheat production and added that if water was not released immediately, the cotton crop would also be destroyed.

It observed that the sugarcane crop, which had not been harvested as yet, was also being destroyed due to non-availability of water.

It urged the government to take notice of the acute shortage of water and direct the concerned authorities to release water in all the canals without delay.

It demanded that the 1991 water accord should be implemented in letter and spirit and water should also be release downstream Kotri to save the delta from destruction.

It said that for installation of tube-wells, transformers should be made available on easy instalments and sought 50 per cent subsidy to the growers on electricity tariff.

It reminded the government that the growers were made to purchase fertilisers and pesticides according to the international rates and demanded that the crops should also be purchased by the government according to international rates.

JSQM: The Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) has accused a particular province of stealing water of Sindh and violating water agreements.In a statement, JSQM chairman Basheer Qureshi and other leaders said that Chashma-Jhehlum canal was a non-perennial canal and it could only be opened during floods but it had been converted into a perennial canal at the cost of Sindh.

They reminded the PPP government that it had always raised its voice on the water issue and now that it was sitting in the power corridors, it should order the closure of this canal immediately.

Expressing scepticism about the role of PPP, the JSQM leaders said that the power hungry people cannot afford to annoy Punjab and urged the Sindhi people to launch a vigorous struggle for their rights specially to get due share in water resources.

They condemned the arrest of party leaders, Asif Mehdi Shah and Murtaza Hattar by Kandiaro police and said that they were picked up at the instance of local feudal lords.

They warned police that if the arrested leaders were not released, JSQM would be forced to launch a protest movement.