RAHIM YAR KHAN: Farmers of northern belt in Rahim Yar Khan have been facing shortage of irrigation water in the non-perennial canals for the last one week.

A lack of availability of water may harm the cotton sowing which is in full swing in these areas after the harvesting of wheat. According to irrigation department sources, there are distributary canals including Gary canal having a capacity of 450 cusecs, Daigi canal (440 cusecs), Rukan canal (500 cusecs), Khan canal (200 cusecs), Lama canal (800 cusecs) and Bhong canal (900 cusecs) which originate from main Dallas branch canal which starts from Alipur at Panjnad head.

From these distributary canals, more minor canals irrigate the agriculture lands at tail ends. There was 6,000 cusecs water discharge in Dallas branch canal in the end of April but there is a need of 30,000 cusecs of water to fulfill the needs of farmers of Rahim Yar Khan.

Malik Muhammad Arshad, a farmer of Dera Mushir in Rajanpur Kalan, told this correspondent that the small-time farmers of his area had been facing acute shortage of irrigation water in the canals. He said water was once released last month in the Dallas canal but it could not properly reach other branch canals.

He said the irrigation water was regularly being released in Abbasia Link canal which irrigates the southern belt of the district where sub soil water is brackish.

Imran Ali, a farmer of Chak 72-NP, said he irrigates his fields from Khudain Shakh canal which starts from Gray minor which is without water. He further said he had no electricity to run tubewells to irrigate their fields.

Senior Engineer Irrigation Abdul Wahid told Dawn that there was 50pc shortage in the dams from where the water was released in the rivers. He said that last month water was released in Dallas branch canal but as level of water shortage decreased at Panjnad head, the discharge was reduced in the canals.

He hopes that the snow on mountains will melt due to high temperature and the water level in dams will increase in a couple of weeks.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2022