BADIN, May 18: Most farmers in lower Sindh districts of Badin and Thatta are reluctant to prepare their land for Kharif crops because of a looming fear that they will not get enough water to raise the crop to maturity.

A number of rice growers told Dawn on Friday that water level in canals and minors was already on the decline and officials of the irrigation department had started warning them of closure of canals during the current month because of shortage in the Indus river.

They said the real shortage in the system and the artificial one to be created by corrupt officials would devastate not only Kharif crops but also have had a harmful impact on livestock and human beings in Badin and other areas of lower Sindh.

They said that many farmers were reluctant to go for preparing land for Kharif crops for fear of water shortage, real or artificial.

They urged the caretaker government to ensure availability of water in waterways so that they could cultivate their land without fear.

Meanwhile, the Left Bank Canal Area Water Board announced at a meeting rotation programme for water canals of irrigation subdivisions of Tando Mohammad Khan, Matli, Badin, Kazia, Shadi Large, Dubbi and others.

The meeting presided over by the board’s director and attended by executive engineers of Akram, Guni and Phuleli canals decided that in view of a shortage of water a rotation plan would be enforced beginning from Sunday.

The meeting directed irrigation officers to display the rotation programme in their offices and inform growers about its implementation besides keeping an eye over lower irrigation staff that operated waterways. If they were found guilty of violating the rotation programme they should be punished at once, said the meeting.