SUKKUR, March 2: A meeting of the officials of Irrigation department, Sindh, was told here on Friday that water in Indus River was left only for seven days.

The meeting discussed ways and means to face prevailing water shortage in Sindh which, irrigation experts believe, is the worst water shortage in the province in the last 30 years.

According to irrigation authorities, 75 per cent shortage is prevailing in Sindh these days and the Indus River System Authority has refused to supply water from Tarbela Dam till third week of March.

The meeting decided that Sukkur Barrage would continue to supply water to Kotri Barrage so that the shortage of drinking water did not take place in Hyderabad region.

The chief engineer, Sukkur Barrage, told the meeting they had pulled up the gates of the canals originating from the barrage to ensure continuation of water flow in the waterways so that shortage of drinking water did not occur in this area also.

He disclosed that Nazims committees were being formed in a week to monitor availability of water in the canals.

The Irrigation authorities asked the people of Sukkur area to fill tanks and ditches.

They expressed fear that the water crisis had increased the chances of great damages to Rabi crops and mostly to wheat crop for which water supply during March was crucial. Besides banana, chilies and vegetable crops are also expected to be severely damaged.

The meeting resolved that despite water shortage in Sindh, Balochistan’s 100 per cent share of 1,800 cusecs would be released.