BY last Thursday, flood water flows had started receding from their peak in Sindh, raising hopes that the province had escaped any serious damage. The flood waters had entered the province on September 13.

With no reported widespread damages due to breaches in dykes or canals — as witnessed in the 2010 super floods — the flood waters are seen by growers as a boon for the riverine area. Floods leave a positive impact on the river ecology by inundating a considerable part of the ‘katcha area’. No doubt, dwellers of riverine areas have to be temporarily evacuated, but they take full advantage of the residual moisture in the soil provided by the floods by cultivating crops like pulses, oilseed and wheat.

Silt and mineral deposits by flood waters improve soil fertility and productivity. Though not surveyed, 2.8m acres fall in the riverine area, of which 800,000 to 900,000 acres are expected to be submerged under floodwater.

Another positive is that with increased water flows, indented supplies as per the Water Apportionment Accord of 1991 to canal-commanded areas have been replaced by uninterrupted supplies. Until September 17, according to Kotri Barrage Chief Engineer Salman Memon, four canals of the barrage had even drawn more than indented supplies, whereas Kotri’s downstream flows, though inadequate, had also been released to some advantage.

Farmers expect that until the entire floodwater reaches the sea, all 14 canals of Sindh’s barrages would draw adequate flows. Even tail-end farmers look to better water supplies

Sindh also stands to gain from both national water storages — Mangla and Tarbela — which have been filled to capacity, though its supplies usually come from Tarbela. Farmers expect that they would get water

supplies when needed during the rabi season. Current flood waters would continue for some time before

eventually falling into the Arabian Sea in the coastal district of Thatta, hit by sea intrusion. The present river flows would help repulse the intruding sea to some extent.

The present crop scenario in Sindh is marked by cotton picking in full swing. Rice will be ready for harvest in lower Sindh by October, while sugarcane harvest would be dependent upon the commencement of cane crushing by mills. Farmers expect that until the entire floodwater reaches the sea, all 14 canals of Sindh’s barrages would draw adequate flows. Even tail-end farmers look to better water supplies.

According to growers like Abdul Sattar Kazi from Ghotki, cotton is at the boll-formation stage, and the current canal water cycle is set to benefit it. Flower-shedding would be minimised at a time when the crop faces threat from various diseases. The productivity of the delayed rice crop will improve.

For the rabi season, Nabi Bux Sathio, general secretary of the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture, expects that water would be released from Tarbela, now at its optimum storage level of 6.45MAF, when it is most need it for wheat. Growers expect timely availability of water in October especially for early sowing in lower Sindh.

Published in Dawn, Economic & Business, September 22nd, 2014