KARACHI, Feb 28: The Sindh Irrigation and Power Department said on Thursday that there would be a considerable shortage of water in the province due to low flows in the rivers.

Sindh was getting only 20,400 cusec water as on Feb 28 as against its share of 37,500 cusec, thus the shortage had reached 45 per cent, said an official handout.

To face the situation, the department has taken different measures to maintain supply of drinking water and allowed water flows for drinking purposes in Phuleli and Pinyari Canals.

Supplies to Guddu Barrage canals and Sukkur Barrage canals would be reduced to 15,000 cusec and supplies to Kotri Barrage canals would be enhanced to 3,000 cusec to cater to drinking water requirements, which stood at 42 per cent, the handout said.

The department would enforce intensive rotation of canal flows and the direct chief engineers and managing director of SIDA to announce rotation programme according to the availability.

This intensive rotation programme would be enforced from March 1, 2008. The handout said that the department was taking the steps to judiciously share water to and control theft of water.

It advised the farmers and all other people using irrigation water to use the available water carefully to avert losses.—PPI