HYDERABAD: The superintending eng­i­neer (SE) of the Sindh irrigation department — who is also director of the Left Bank Canals Area Water Board (AWB) — has become a bone of contention between the board and hundreds of tail-end growers of water scarcity-hit Badin district that has been bearing the brunt of water shortage for a few months.

The row continued as Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (Sida) Managing Director Wali Mohammad Naich in a July 5 communication approached the Sindh irrigation secretary while referring to secretary’s June 28 letter over director’s transfer. The irrigation secretary had informed the Left Bank Canals AWB that the department was going to withdraw the posting order of the director, Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur.

The AWB in its 105th board meeting on July 4 did not approve such withdrawal of the posting order.

It said that the posting of some other officer would aggravate crisis and cause embarrassment for the government, adding that he (Talpur) had worked day and night to control the situation despite extreme negative political pressure.

The Sida MD has questioned the July 4 meeting and described it as invalid on some grounds. His letter said that as per provisions of the Sindh Water Management Ordinance (SWMO) 2002, attendance of 40 per cent board members, including two farmers, was required to meet the quorum, but 38pc members were present out of total 13. “Participation of Director [Mir Ghulam Ali] himself may not be considered as he himself is beneficiary”, it said and added “decisions of the 105th meeting were not valid and legitimate”.

The MD contended that 105th AWB meeting was scheduled for July 8 as per AWB’s July 3 letter. But it was held on July 4 without intimating the board members about the change of schedule. “The AWB is not authorised to continue services of the SE as AWB director in case the irrigation department has withdrawn services of that officer,” it said.

The AWB is a corporate body which was formed in line with SWMO 2002 to promote participatory form of the irrigation system in Sindh through Sida.

Three AWBs exist for running their canals’ systems of three barrages. The irrigation department runs its canals under its domain at these barrages.

A director of the AWB has to be appointed/hired from market through competitive process and Talpur being irrigation employee was posted by the department. He has been at the centre of controversy of water shortage in Badin for a long time. Protesting farmers believe that water flows’ availability to tail-end reaches was directly linked with his transfer.

Growers in left bank Badin district have been resenting water shortage in the areas fed by two canals – Phulelli and Akram Wah. Both canals emanate from Kotri Barrage’s left side and have 1.518m acres of command area cumulatively. Farmers have been on the warpath for a few months, questioning change in sill levels of Phulelli Canal under recent development works executed under donor-funded Water Sector Improvement Project (WSIP).

Talpur, meanwhile, remained unmoved despite demands of his transfer and recent irrigation department’s letter for withdrawal of his posting order. He hails from a political family and has been serving in the AWB for around two-and-a-half years. “I am holding a three-year tenure posting and around one year or so is yet to go,” he confidently said while talking to Dawn over phone. “[Water] shortage is there in the system and the AWB didn’t approve posting of a new officer as he won’t be able to handle it,” he said. He stated that the AWB was an independent body to take any decision. “If adequate flows are available, everything will be resolved,” he said.

But the Save Badin Committee leaders strongly disagree. “As long as the director is there, we won’t get water even if Kotri Barrage gets one million cusecs of water,” remarked one of the committee leaders, Khuda Dino Shah. He alleged that water of Badin was being sold or diverted purposely by the AWB director.

Farmers grow paddy crop in the command area of non-perennial Phulelli Canal which has 971,923 acres of command area with 14,350 cusecs designed discharge capacity. Growers who were able to prepare paddy nurseries initially were deprived of water to transplant crops; thus they ended up bearing losses. Akram Wah is a perennial canal and despite a ban, paddy was cultivated by growers, which was illegal under law.

“Why rotation is being introduced when the required gauges are there at two canals is anybody’s guess. Rotation must end if a canal gets 55pc water flows of its designed capacity. Akram Wah and Phuleli are getting over 60pc flows,” Khalil Bhurgri, another committee leader, added.

He said Phulelli Canal was having flows of 10,000 cusecs against its designed capacity of 14,000 cusecs, but complaints of water shortage were unending. “The reason is that our water share is diverted to somewhere else and even to brick kilns. We have evidence of it,” said Bhurgri.

The committee leaders have given an eight-day ultimatum to the government for transfer of the AWB director and ending the rotation programme.

Farmers having land at Phulelli Canal mainly grow paddy crop, but this year such cultivation was badly affected because of this internal mismanagement of water at Kotri Barrage. In early summer water flows remained satisfactory, according to one barrage official.

“Who we should turn to in such case?” asked a retired bureaucrat and a native of Badin, Mir Mohammad Parhiar, while discussing water crisis in Badin. He stated that water flows meant for Kotri Barrage were diverted to other canals in initial summer season quite unjustifiably under government’s decision.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2019