HYDERABAD: The Sindh Abadgar Ittehad (SAI) has condemned release of water flows for flood canals of Punjab in violation of Water Accord 1991 although only 15-days storage is left in dams.

An SAI meeting held here on Thursday, presided over by Ittehad’s president Nawab Zubair Talpur, demanded closure of link canals as Sindh was still facing more than 15pc water shortage.

It expressed concern over water shortage in Sindh.

The meeting was told that despite water shortage, illegal watercourses were getting flows and tail-end growers were facing problems.

It said the tail-ends of Rohri and Nara canals were not getting water although the canals were getting flows as per their designed discharge, which was causing losses to growers.

The meeting called for provision of water flows in the tail-end areas right up to Tando Soomro distributary and an end to the rotation programme.

The meeting demanded of the government to post cane commissioner for three years to ensure payment of liabilities of cane growers as the post had been lying vacant for a long time.

It said the Punjab government had amended Sugar Factories Control Act to protect growers.

It also expressed concern over delay in arrangements for monsoon season as only two weeks are left in rainfall and saline water drains were not desilted. It feared that rains could spell disaster like 2011 and 2020. Demanding subsidy on all fertilizers, the meeting said the provincial government should share its cost.

It also demanded that electricity tariff of 2017 should be introduced for growers.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2021