20 August 2004	Friday	03 Rajab 1425

HYDERABAD, Aug 19: Sindh Population Welfare Minister Syed Ali Bux Shah has said Rangers should be deployed at water channels' heads from where water is being stolen.

He was talking to journalists after presiding over a meeting of irrigation officials at the circuit house here on Thursday. He chaired the meeting to address complaints of growers of the Akram Wah, Badin district, regarding non-supply of water to their lands.

The minister, however, opposed the deployment of Rangers at tail-ends of canals as he said it had failed to control water theft. Mr Shah said he had proposed to the chief minister and the irrigation minister to review the deployment of Rangers and bring them back at heads of water channels.

He said water was being stolen in areas where unauthorized pumping machines were installed. He said such machines were operated for 24 hours, instead of the sanctioned eight hours.

He said deployment of Rangers at canals' tail-ends was of no use because water did not reach these areas. The minister said water level in the Indus River had declined. He, however, said irrigation officials closed water supply to the Akram Wah from the Indus, instead of closing it from another point.

He said the Wah was not being supplied required quantity of water. Answering a question about the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority, he said it should either be dissolved or the irrigation department be handed over to it.

He said Sida and the irrigation department blamed each other for water shortage but the ultimate suffers were people of the Badin district, being looked after by Sida. He added that the district had fallen prey to a controversy between Sida and the irrigation department.

He said Sida had not been effective in the Ghotki district too. The minister proposed that composition of Sida should be made on the pattern of the Punjab Irrigation and Drainage Authority. He said there was 30 per cent water shortage which would continue for another week.