BADIN: Talks between protesting members of Badin Bachayo Committee and government team comprising Special Adviser to Chief Minister Ashfaque Ahmed Memon, Sindh Irri­gation and Drainage Autho­r­ity (Sida) chairman Basit Soomro and Sida managing director Wali Mohammad Naich ended without reaching any agreement here on Thursday.

The team arrived here on the directives of Sindh CM to hold talks with the protesting growers at Darbar Hall and help resolve the problem of water shortage.

The protester informed the team that Sida and irrigation department had failed to supply water to tail-end areas of the district, causing their crops to wither and forcing villagers to migrate to urban areas.

They alleged that irrigation and Sida officials had created artificial shortage of water in the tail-end areas despite improved water flows in Akram, Phuleli and Gooni canals whose water was being diverted to the lands of influential people with the help of blockages.

They said that construction of diversions and blockages to steal water from Phuleli Canal, Alipur regulator, Imam Wah regulator and Phuleli supplementary canal had led to artificial shortage of water.

The adviser assured growers of helping resolve the water shortage issue, removal of all illegal diversions and repair of waterways in all subdivisions of Phuleli, Akram Wah and other distributaries and canals to ensure supply of water to the tail-end.

But the diversions on Phuleli Canal at Alipur regulator, the adviser said, were constructed at a cost of billions of rupees provided by World Bank, hence his department could not authorise their dismantlement without consulting the bank officials.

He advised growers to form a committee to discuss the issue so that they could find a solution to this problem.

Mir Noor Ahmed Talpur, Aziz Dero, Latif Rahimoon, Sharif Bhurgari and others who represented protesting growers in the talks disagreed with the team and said they would continue their protest till water reached the tail-end areas of distributaries and minors.

THATTA: Acute shortage of water has hampered sowing of seasonal crops and affected over 80 per cent of standing crop of wheat, sugar cane and vegetables in 40pc coastal areas of Sujawal and Thatta districts, Dawn learnt on Thursday.

Sources said the situation in four talukas of Thatta, Mirpur Sakro, Ghorabari and Keti Bundar was getting worse by the day where main channels Sakro branch, Jaam branch and Naari Chhachh were almost running dry.

In Mirpur Sakro, which was irrigated by KB feeder lower, crops on 30,000 acre faced threat of destruction because of nagging water shortage, said the sources.

In the areas under undivided Thatta, land in 65 Dehs could not be cultivated this year due to water shortage in non-perennial areas of the riverine network.

In Ghorabari taluka, more than 25pc standing crop had been affected this year and in 19 Dehs of Keti Bandar taluka only 1,200 acres of 3,200 acres could be brought under cultivation this year, said the sources.

Habibullah Chandio, Khamiso Khaskheli, Imam Bux Mirbahar and others demanded subsidies, relief in abyana and other taxes as well as early release of water to affected areas to save standing crops from complete destruction.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2019