SUKKUR, May 5: The severe water shortage at three barrages of Sindh is getting worse with every passing day as the shortage has reached 56 per cent at Sukkur and Guddu barrages.

There is about 75 per cent shortage at the Kotri barrage from where no water is being released below Kotri.

Experts fear that the shortage would be a severe blow to the agriculture economy of Sindh as most important crops of the Kharif season — cotton, paddy and sugarcane — were being delayed.

They told Dawn on Friday that Irsa and the federal government had been ignoring repeated demands of Sindh to implement the 1991 water accord.

They said Punjab was continuously drawing water from different canals due to which Sindh was getting 56 per cent less water from its due share.

Sources claimed that according to the 91 water accord there should be 12,000 cusecs water at Kotri in early May while there was only 2,900 cusecs water.

In the wake of 56 per cent water shortage in Sindh, sowing of Kharif crops would be affected badly and target fixed for them could not be achieved.

Irrigation sources said that at present, 40 per cent water shortage was prevailing in Sindh and 55,000 cusecs water released from Chasma on April 30 had not reached the Taunsa barrage.

Sources in the Sindh irrigation department said that canals of the Sukkur barrage — Rice, Khirthar and Dadu — and three canals of Guddu barrage could not be reopened because water released from Chasma had not yet entered Sindh.

At present, 46,000 cusecs water is being released from Chasma on the daily basis but it is not reaching Sindh.

In this connection, a team of discharge observation cell has reached the Taunsa barrage from Lahore to monitor the water discharge.

The team, headed by executive engineer Altaf Ahmed, would also ascertain the reason that why the water released from Chasma was not reaching Taunsa.

FRIDAY’S TALLY: Up and downstream water at the Guddu barrage was recorded at 35,600 cusecs.