February 24, 2008	Sunday	Safar 16, 1429

SUKKUR, Feb 23: Shortage of water at Sukkur Barrage and its off-taking canals, which is badly affecting Rabi crops in the area, may aggravate in the coming days, irrigation experts claim on Saturday.

Sources in the irrigation department said that water flow upstream Sukkur Barrage had been recorded at 21,900 cusec and the downstream at 2,700 cusec, while its pond level stood at 193 feet, which should have been 197 feet to cope with the shortage.

At present all the off-taking canals of the barrage were being supplied 19,000 cusec water as against their capacity of 32,000 cusec, said the sources.

N.W. canal was receiving 40 per cent less water, Dadu canal 60 per cent less, Nara Canal 10 per cent less, Rohri canal 50 per cent less, Khairpur west feeder canal 35 per cent less and Khairpur east feeder canal was getting 70 per cent less water than its capacity, they said.

Irrigation experts said that at present the Tarbela Dam’s pond level stood at 1,400 feet and if two feet water was being released from the dam on a daily basis then its level would come down to 1,370 feet within the next 15 days, which would prove harmful for the dam. Water in the dam was stored during Kharif season which was then used during Rabi, they said.

GROWERS: Hundreds of growers belonging to Kandhra and its adjoining areas staged a demonstration outside the office of the Chief Engineer of Irrigation Sukkur at Kandhra bypass near Rohri.

The growers led by Syed Bahadur Ali Shah and Hashim Abro told journalists that due to scarcity of water in Patni minor for the last three months, wheat and dates crops spreading over thousands of acres, were drying up.

They said that the problem of water shortage had been persisting for the since last five years but irrigation officials had not paid any heed to their plight.

The enraged protesters made their way into the office of chief engineer where hot words were exchanged between protesters and staff of the irrigation department. The staff called rangers to control them but the protesters refused to leave the office until water was supplied to the minor.

Later, negotiations were held between Chief Engineer Irrigation Haroon Memon and growers, and the official informed them that there was a shortage of 28 to 30 per cent water in the Indus, due to which supply of water to the canals was badly affected, and water was being supplied to the canals through rotation system.

The official assured them that water would be provided within a week’s time, and after that assurance, the protesters dispersed.