Recently one of the progressive agriculturist with quite big holding in the prime fertile agriculture belt in the Sakrand District Nawabshah invited selected agriculturists and bureaucrats to join the chopping-off ceremony of mango trees garden.
Mr Shah, a soft spoken, gentle and unlike others of his class, is devoid of feudal mindset took this painful decision when he failed to get water for his garden. Some of the speakers blamed the federal government for its failure to ensure release of water according to the 1991 Water Accord.
Though they do not lose any opportunity to usurp the share of water of small and tail farmers to enjoy hundred per cent cultivation, even in these days of water shortage. Mr Shah was, however critical of the irrigation department's officials whose involvement and abetment in theft of water, illegal pipes, and cuts in the channels have badly damaged the crops and mango gardens, hence he took this decision.
His contention was, however, rebutted by the irrigation engineer who questions where from the Shah arranged water to develop garden spread on 150 acres against the sanctioned garden water for 18 acres.
Allegation and counter-allegation apart but the fact that the mango garden takes years in maturing and in initial period requires full attention of the gardener who develops emotional attachment, leaving aside the income considerations. The cutting of mango trees must have saddened the Shah but he had no other recourse, may be he could not see the destruction of blooming trees.
The water shortage has now started showing its negative impact in the middle of Sukkur Barrage command areas so much so that agriculturist of taluka Dahriki which lies in the head of Guddu barrage command were deprived of their due share of water.
The agriculturist of district Nawabshah, Naushero Feroze and even Ghotki could well imagine the sufferings and sorrows through which the inhabitants settled on the tails of channels of District Jacobabad, Larkana, Dadu, Mirpurkhas, Badin and Thatta are passing through since last so many years where many distributors have silted up due to no supply of water.
The affectees either migrated or those who could not due to social and cultural taboos started selling animals which is the assured source of income and social security of poor.
But after exhausting this wealth they have resorted to cutting Devi (Masquite) trees and Jar (Silodera) trees which possess natural sustainability to heat and dryness and can survive in brackish water zone.
Cutting of otherwise less valued trees which they sell as fire wood to eliminate hunger has given rise to environmental problems and adding to soil erosion thus accelerating the process of desertification of cultivatable lands.
Scarcity of income generating sources compel the people to migrate to towns and cities, thereby, putting pressure on the squeezed sources and on the katchi abadis which are already filled beyond capacity and lack adequate basic facilities.
The issue of releases from Tarbela and the assured supply of water share according to 1991 water accord is seized by a Parliamentary Committee headed by a person incidentally belongs to the tail area under the command of canal off-taking from right bank of the Kotri Barrage.
He deserves credit in convincing the stakeholders of all the provinces to share water as per terms of the Water accord 1991. The Technical Committee is also headed by man of outstanding professionalism and integrity.
The people of Sindh are fortunate that the present the Chief Executive of the province hails from the extreme tail of the off-shoot of the Nara canal system. He understands the miseries of the common man of Sindh specially those settled at the tails.
This is why one of his priorities is to ensure adequate and uninterrupted supply of water. Deployment of Rangers to check water theft and rectification of tempered modules and removal of illegal pipes after long time speaks of his sincerity in words and actions.
Whether the irrigation officials would respond with the same commitment and work with zeal to honour the word of the head of the provincial government. This is too, early to comment upon but it will be appropriate to highlight here some important issues.
The efficient running of the canals and offshoots and ensure equitable distribution of whatever quantity of water is released in the canal is the basic problem which can be addressed by regular maintenance and supervision and movement of the canal officer e.g., the AXEN, and the XEN round the clock, specially during Abklani.
The SE is also supposed to be on legs in these days. Frequent and surprise visits by the CE could bring remarkable improvement, besides this would discourage the lower formation to allow tempering and check irregular releases and favouritism in rotations.
The shortage of water could be a blessing in disguise if an independent committee of experts, not necessarily all belonging to irrigation department, serving or retired civil bureaucrats who are known for their commitment is constituted to enquire into motives behind shifting of thousands of acres of land from the command of Rohri Canal to Nara canal network and Fuleli Canal. What was the justification to sanction direct outlets and lift pumps on Nara, Rohri and Akram Wah.
Why influential farmers are still enjoying the facility of water for the same land from former and latter channels either with the blessings of local irrigation officials or under the cover of status quo from the courts where the cases are not properly pursued.
It is an irony that the overestimation and gross irregularities in awarding contracts and mis-utilization of funds is talked in all forums even by those who occupy high positions in the department. In a way it is a positive sign that those who matter have lay hand at right place. Whether they succeed in breaking the nexuses of consultants, engineers, contractors and vested groups.
One can only pray for them to at least put a dent on the powerful mafia which is bent upon destroying the agriculture economy - the main, rather the only, source of rural folk of Sindh thereby nullifying the efforts of the federal and provincial governments in bringing down the poverty graph of rural Sindh. Anyone whoever tried in the past was the ultimate caualty.
