July 24, 2008	Thursday	Rajab 20, 1429

NAWABSHAH, July 23: James Minor canal of Nusrat Irrigation Division developed a breach on Wednesday, lending considerable weight to growers’ allegations of unfair distribution of water, mismanagement and large-scale corruption, leading to nagging problem of water shortage in tail-end areas.

The breach, which occurred at RD-13 along non-inspection path of the canal, inundated standing crops of cotton, guava and vegetables over 500 acres of land and was plugged soon by villagers with the help of irrigation officials.

The executive engineer of Nusrat Division has blamed mischief by unknown people for the breach but growers disagree with him. They say inefficiency and mismanagement and not any mischief are responsible for such manmade disasters. Nusrat Division, which feeds hundreds of watercourses in five sub-divisions Nawabshah-I and II, Padidan, Shahpur Chakar and Daur, is currently under rotation programme, which has been imposed by the department on grounds that there is shortage in Rohri Canal despite enough water in the River Indus.

The growers whose lands are irrigated by Dholu, Dhoro Naro, Jheemal, Setharki and several other minors have been protesting against acute shortage of water.

They accuse irrigation officials of creating artificial shortage and selling water to influential landlords. Field staff of the department was involved in tampering with watercourses and modules as well as diverting water to the lands of influential landlords after taking bribes, they alleged.

They blamed unfair distribution, administrative mismanagement, large-scale corruption and political interference for perennial water shortage in tail-end areas.

General Secretary of Sindh Abadgar Board’s Nawabshah chapter Syed Zahid Hussain Shah refuted the water shortage excuse especially after heavy rains and ice-melting. The shortage had been created artificially by irrigation department to serve their own vested interests, he alleged.

He said that injudicious distribution and mismanagement by the department had destroyed agriculture sector and rendered thousands of acres of land in tail-end areas barren. It was high time the government took drastic steps for redressing growers’ grievances, he urged.

Syed Ali Mohammed Shah, another office-bearer of the board, said that Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Saifullah Dharejo had declared during a recent visit to Nawabshah that there was no shortage of water and promised water would be supplied to tail-end areas at any cost.

He shared his colleague’s view that injudicious distribution of water and corruption were at the root of the problem. If there was enough water, the officials would not be able to sell it, he argued.

SE of Rohri Canal Circle Hyderabad Babar Hussain Afandi admitted that influential landlords tampered with watercourses in connivance with lower staff of irrigation department.

He said that MNA Faryal Talpur had taken notice of tail-end growers’ protest and issued directives to supply them water. The department had also received instructions from Sindh Home Minister Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza to register FIRs against the landlords who were found involved in tampering with watercourses or water theft, he said.

The official denied reports about political pressure and warned that strict action would be taken against the officials found involved in corruption. Rotation programme for Nusrat and Hala divisions of his circle would be ended within two weeks, he said.