March 27, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 18, 1429

MIRPURKHAS, March 26: Cotton, chilli and vegetable sowing is being adversely affected in the Command Area of Nara Canal owing to acute water shortage at Sukkur Barrage.

According to reports irrigation authorities had reduced water level in Nara Canal as only 4,800 cusecs was being provided at its head which does not fulfil requirements of drinking water of Command Area.

According to official sources 2.511 million acres was in Command Area of Nara canal located in Mirpurkhas, Umerkot and Tharparkar districts. Besides, around 70 per cent shortage persisted in tail areas.

Over dozen reservoirs of water supply schemes were dried up with irrigation officials making efforts to provide water to channels for drinking.

Growers had started to prepare land for sowing cotton, chilli and vegetables crops after harvesting wheat but sowing of these crops was being affected due to water shortage, particularly in tail area of Nara Canal.

The Nazim Jhillori Union Council and member of Nara Canal Area Water Board, Yar Mohammad Baloch deploring water shortage said it had affected the sown sugarcane crop and sowing of others.

He said over 200 illegal pumping machines were installed on both sides of Nara Canal in Khairpur district while 8,000 acres of Rohri canal had been shifted to Nara Canal without increasing water share which in turn had hit the tail districts.

He said few decades back merely 20 per cent land of Nara Canal was being cultivated which now had risen to 80 per cent. However, quantity had not been officially increased in Nara Canal to cover the shortage.

He demanded the government to take immediate notice of 200 illegally installed pumping machines in Khairpur and increase water share of shifted land in Nara Canal to overcome shortage at tail end.

BOOK: The district government Mirpurkhas has compiled a book on 200-year old history of Mirpurkhas. The book will be launched on April 2.

According to official handout, the book comprises historical research papers, articles and photographs of notables of the district.