DADU, Oct 9: The fate of Rabi crops stands in doldrums as many talukas are still inundated with flood water, making it impossible for farmers to prepare their land for cultivation. Rabi season is days away as it begins from 15th of this month and the land would not be dried up before six months, said growers and irrigation officials.Water up to 10 feet is standing in agriculture fields of Mehar, Khairpur Nathan Shah, Johi and Sehwan Sharif leaving no options for farmers to cultivate anything. The DCO Dadu, Mohammad Iqbal Memon said that the standing crops on more than 224,589 acres came under water when floodwater from Torhi bund breach began entering into Dadu district from Dhamrah Wah of Mehar taluka after August 20, while over 561,861 acres and 280,60 villages were affected.

The slow-paced discharge of floodwater into the Indus is another quandary for farmers.

Johi, previously took lead in providing wheat to the Food Department in every procurement season but now it is unable to even produce the commodity for itself as 11 of its union councils were still under water, said a grower Ghulam Ali Shahani adding that slow fall of water into the river would take at least another six months to clear fields.

Railway tracks and Sehwan-Bhan Syedabad section highway were major hurdles in the smooth flow of water into the river and any cuts would accelerate flow, he said.

Calling for immediate plugging of breaches in Main Nara Valley drain, he said that parts of Johi, Mehar, Khairpur Nathan Shah talukas would again come under water if flow in drain reached 3,000 cusecs.

Mohammad Omer Jamali of Small Growers Association said that there were no chances of growing wheat, sugarcane and vegetables in this Rabi season which would create shortages and would be a second blow to farmers whose Kharif crops were first washed away by the floods.

However, Engineer Irrigation Department Dadu, Habibullah Chandio has said that crops would be cultivated on land which is safe from water.

Water supply to Johi remained suspended because its command area was flooded, he added.

Growers of Dadu, Johi, Mehar, Kairpur Nathan Shah and Sehwan talukas would get agriculture loans, said State Minister for Food and Agriculture Rafiq Ahmed Jamali as Zarai Tariqyati Bank has been directed to release loans to growers on easy installment and a list would be provided to it soon. A scheme would be launched for providing tractors and tubewells to farmers on low price and easy installments and a summary will be sent to Prime Minister for providing free of cost seed and fertilizers to affected farmers, he added.

He said that a large number of wheat bags were available with the Food Department and these would be given to chakki owners once there was any shortage of these.

Growers of Sehwan Sharif used to produce wheat and vegetables in Rabi season by taking water from Dadu canal and small channels originating from the Manchchar Lake but this time around they would not, as 10 feet deep water is still standing in union councils of Dal, Channa, Talti, Bubak and Sehwan-I in the east of Manchchar.

Former nazim, Channa Union Council, Syed Ghulam Hadi Shah said that one breach in Manchhar Lake, eight in the lake embankment and one in the MNV Drain were yet not plugged hence floodwater was still flowing to the agriculture land of taluka Sehwan Sharif from the Indus Link drain to ring bund around Sehwan Sharif town.

Though land in katcha area along the Indus is now cultivable but farmers' insolvency doesn't allow them to hire tractors for leveling land or purchase seed.

Allah Bux Siyal of Siyal village in katcha area lost his wheat seed stock in floodwater and though water level is decreasing but he has no money to replenish his seed stock.