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HYDERABAD, Oct 12: Sindh Irrigation Secretary Mohammad Idrees Rajput has said that last year 43 per cent shortage of water was experienced in the province but this year there would be 51 per cent shortage in water supply.
He, however, said that efforts would be made to save water for wheat cultivation.
Mr Rajput was speaking at a news conference at the Kotri barrage office, Barrage Colony, here on Friday.
He expressed the hope that the same quantity of water would be available for the wheat crop which had been made available last year.
He said to combat the situation, rotation programme would be launched for which the growers would be given advance notice of 15 days and added that strict instructions had been given to the irrigation officials not to make any changes in the rotation schedule.
He pointed out that the agriculture sector in Sindh had suffered a great deal during the last two years.
Answering a question, he said that he had sent a letter to the federal secretary, water and power, to seek help from Denmark which reportedly had been able to melt glacier through laser technology.
He said that Irsa had already announced that 51 per cent shortage of water would be experienced during the Rabi season.
DOWNSTREAM KOTRI: Replying another question about the release of water downstream Kotri barrage, he said that the Water Accord-1991 made it mandatory that 10 MAF water be released downstream Kotri barrage but the study in this respect had not been carried out although UNDP had released funds for the study.
He said due to controversy between Sindh and Punjab, the money to be spent on the study had been returned.
He said from 1991 to 2000, 36 MAF water at the average had been released downstream Kotri barrage. He, however, hastened to clarify that the word average was very deceptive as during the current year only two MAF water was released downstream.
THAL CANAL: Answering question about greater Thal canal, Rajput said the details were not available but added that this canal had been mentioned in 1991 water accord.
He stressed as per accord, water in this canal would be released only during the Kharif season.
He said if this canal was allowed to operate for whole year, this would be illegal and violation of the accord.
About Kalabagh dam, he said that it was included in the ten-year development plan but added that Wapda had already termed it a dead horse.
The irrigation secretary said that Sindh was not against dams and development of the country but it was only against those projects which could prove harmful to some provinces.
He disclosed that Rainy canal will be inaugurated on March 23 next year.
WATER SHARE: He said that Sindh was not getting its share of water supply in accordance with the 1991 accord as the other provinces were not prepared to share the water shortages.
He said that the chairman of Irsa would be appointed from Sindh on Monday or Saturday.
Giving details of the present situation, he said at Guddu and Kotri, 10,000 cusecs water was available at each while at Kotri barrage, 25,000 cusecs of water was flowing.
He said that it had been decided that non-perennial canals would continue to operate up to Monday.
Underlining the management measures to meet the Rabi water shortages, the secretary said that all the non-perennial canals of Guddu and Sukkur barrages would be closed from Tuesday while non-perennial canals of Kotri barrage where underground water was saline would be given intermittent water supplies for drinking purposes. He added that Ghotki feeder would be closed for 16 days from October 16 to October 31.
Mr Rajput said that withdrawal in Sindh for October will be 65 per cent of the accord allocations for maturing late sown Kharif crops and sweet ground water tube-wells would be run for 16 hours to supplement the irrigation water shortfall.
He said that Rohri and Nara canals would draw equal water, deterrent action would be taken against persons involved in tampering with outlets and other unauthorised withdrawals, including the black sheep of the department who could be dismissed from service.
He said that desilting of the big canals would be done by the department while the small channels would be desilted on self-help basis.
He said that the three barrages of Sindh would equally share shortages.
MD SIDA: The managing director of Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (Sida) Syed Ali Gohar Shah, who was also present at the press conference, told newsmen that influential landlords had installed 218 illegal lift machines on Nara canal and were given power connections by Wapda.
He said that 120 machines had already been removed and the remaining machines would be removed after Monday.
He said that between 500 to 600 cusecs of water was illegally taken away by these lift machines and added that even the growers of Jamrao canal in Mirpurkhas were affected due to the non-supply of water.
