HYDERABAD: The peak flood passing through the Guddu barrage at the moment is beneficial to the riverine area and Indus delta ecology. The floodwater has improved the situation to a great extent and water supplies to growers for the Kharif season has been satisfactory.

Withdrawals of all 14 canals of three barrages have been reduced because of rains. This is done to protect canals. Generally transplantation of rice crop in upper Sindh has almost been completed.

“This time water was made available to us in May, otherwise in the last several years, we were getting water in June for preparing nurseries of paddy crop,” said a veteran rice grower from Larkana, Gada Hussain. Largely, he said, situation was satisfactory as water flows were available in canals, though their supervision was lacking. “Fewer areas are still witnessing paddy transplantation,” he said.

It is the katcha area — located between two dykes of mighty river Indus — which is to get benefit of water flows in case there is high flood. Soil in katcha area is always very rich in terms of fertility, thanks to silt deposits brought by Indus. People have installed pumping machines to lift groundwater for cultivation of crops.

“Around 2.2 million acres of land is located between the two dykes of Indus right from Guddu downstream to Kotri downstream. The main course of River Indus is spread over around 500,000 acres. A flood of 700,000 cusec is needed for riverine area to inundate completely. Even though we are not having 700,000 cusec around 80 per cent of katcha, it will still be inundated with present quantum of floodwater that is being assessed at little over 500,000 cusec,” contended agriculturist and president of the Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB), Abdul Majeed Nizamani.

According to him, it is quite essential that riverine area must inundate by flood. “It is necessary for it [katcha area] survival to keep its ecology intact,” he said. He is however not that hopeful as far as extended inundation of katcha area is concerned. “Riverine area will not retain this flow for a longer period as this quantum is not that huge. When floodwater starts receding, it recedes very fast towards low lying pockets within the river bed,” he said.

Forest cover and agriculture

Katcha area produces winter and summer crops as its inhabitants take full advantage of lifting of groundwater for sowing their crops. Cotton is grown there and as floodwater would recede, they would be going for sowing of wheat crop and pulses in winter. Silt would improve soil fertility further. In addition to it, katcha land is known for forests, though it is fast vanishing because of a lack in official oversight and questionable enforcement of government writ.

“Of total Sindh’s land around eight per cent land is said to be of forest land. But it can’t be said with authenticity how much of this land is under forest cover,” argues Nasir Panwhar, an environmentalist. He confidently said that present flood which was a must for survival of katcha area would help recharge groundwater aquifer. “Actually, there is excessive use of groundwater as people have installed machines to pump ground water for cropping with result that aquifer level has significantly dropped. Present flood will certainly help recharge it,” he remarked. Panwhar maintained that wetlands inside the riverine would be getting positive effects of river water.

Indus delta — a Ramsar site and said to be fifth or sixth largest in the world — whose ecology also hinges mainly on sustainable water flows downstream Kotri barrage would also get benefit of current water flows. It has been facing destruction over the last several years due to reduced water flows.

According to Mohammad Ali Shah of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum chief, floodwater would revive Indus delta to some extent and latest reports said that present floodwater has reached Khobar creek — one of the 17 major creeks near Keti Bundar, Thatta. The situation would give a boost to fish production and especially that of the specie of ‘palla’ — Sindh’s famous fish — which travels against river water i.e., from sea to the Indus.

“Palla’s spawning area is river water. Palla loves sweet river water and that’s why it reaches river to deposit its eggs during floods,” he said. “Eighty per cent of fish production comes from continental shelf,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2015

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