SANGHAR, Sept 17: Members of the District Council, Sanghar, on Wednesday pointed out manifold problems currently being faced by growers on account of the Irrigation Act 1879.

They said the Sukkur Barrage was built in 1932 but the irrigation matters were still being delt under this archaic law. Dr Mahmood Ahmed Rajput presided over the session.

The members said there was 99 per cent demand of water for the Nusrat irrigation division while it was available for 28 per cent fields. They observed this was the main reason of controversies and water theft.

They demanded modules of watercourses should be designed at least for 66 per cent cultivation instead of the existing 28 per cent. The members also demanded establishment of mechanical sub- divisions at Sanghar and Khadro.

One of the members said officials of the Nusrat division did not attend the meeting even after they were called. He alleged that Rs700,000 was the rate of bribe for posting of the executive engineer irrigation.

The members criticised the monitoring committees and said these had failed to deliver goods. They said rain had played havoc in Khipro taluka but no relief was provided to rain victims.

The irrigation engineer, Faiz Mohammad Memon, who attended the session, said 50 cusecs water is being supplied to canals where the capacity was merely 30 cusecs.