August 18, 2002	Sunday	Jamadi-us-Saani 8, 1423

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DADU, Aug 17: The shortage of water has badly affected paddy and cotton crops in five talukas of Dadu district and rendered over 200,000 acres of land uncultivated, revealed a survey conducted by this scribe.

The influential landlords of the area, including political personalities, have tampered with watercourses and modules with the connivance of Irrigation officials and are cultivating their lands at the cost of small growers.

According to the survey, water shortage was the burning issue in five talukas of Dadu district - Johi, Dadu, Khairpur Nathan Shah, Mehar and Sehwan.

A visit of waterways originating from Dadu Canal, Johi Branch, Mehar Branch and Rice Canal revealed that many influential landlords and political figures had tampered with the watercourses at their heads.

Resultantly the tail-end areas are deprived of water even for drinking purpose.

The water flow capacity of Dadu Canal is 5,000 cusecs but on Saturday it contained 2,100 cusecs. The capacity of the Rice Canal is 12,000 cusecs of water but it is getting 8,000 cusecs of water. The capacity of Johi Branch is 900 cusecs of water but it is receiving 500 cusecs of water while Mehar Branch has capacity of 4,000 cusecs of water but it is receiving 3,000 cusecs of water.

This scribe visited some 16 minor waterways originating from Johi Branch of Johi Taluka— namely Chhinni, Chejani, Lakha, Dara, Nonari, Patoro, Pahore, Bego Dero, Mir Mohammad, Phulji, Therari, Khambhar, Wasai, Waji, Qaumi Charo and Khambhari.

He found many watercourses were tampered with at their heads.

Nazim, Chhinni Union Council, Ghulam Ali Shahani, said that small growers of the Chhinni Minor had not cultivated their lands in the current season.

During visit of watercourses 5AR and 4BR of Pir Ganio Minor, an NGO activist Mohammad Aslam Babbur said that the Irrigation officials had sold out water share of the channel to big landlords of the head area.

He alleged that Irrigation officials had created artificial shortage of water.

Nazim, Bahawalpur UC, Saeed Ahmed Jamali, said that due to artificial shortage of water in Khariro Minor, hardly 10 per cent of the lands fed by it were brought under cultivation during the current season.

SDO JOHI: When contacted, SDO, Irrigation, Johi, Basheer Ahmed Jatoi, admitted that influential landlords of Johi taluka were tampering with the watercourses and were stealing water.

He said that he had raided some of the tampered watercourses and had sealed them.

He said that he had sent letters to the concerned police stations for registering the FIRs of water theft but the police had not registered cases against the influential persons.

EXECUTIVE ENGINEER: The Executive Engineer, Southern Division, Irrigation, Dadu, Habibullah Kaboro, said that owing to shortage of water in River Indus, Dadu Canal and Johi Branch were not receiving their complete share of water.

He admitted that owing to shortage of water, many waterways originating from Dadu Canal and Johi Branch were lying dry, which had badly affected paddy crop.