SUKKUR, June 25: About 35 per cent water shortage is prevailing at three barrages of Sindh. It is expected that the situation would remain unchanged till the first week of July.

According to irrigation sources, the chief engineer of the Sukkur irrigation division has directed executive engineers to prepare water rotation programme to overcome the water shortage.

Sources said that over all water shortage was 31 per cent at three barrages of Sindh and the situation would ease further when 150,000 cusecs water released from Chasma on June 22 would reach the Sukkur barrage on June 28.

They said that 160,000 cusecs water was released from Chasma which was expected to reach the Sukkur barrage on July 1.

On Sunday, upstream at the Guddu barrage was 107,115 cusecs and downstream was 79,460 cusecs.

At the Sukkur barrage, upstream was 70,722 and downstream was 24,532 cusecs and at Kotri upstream was 24,070 cusecs.

No water is being released below Kotri.

Sources said that the inflow of Tarbela had also risen which was 159,000 cusecs was 143,000 cusecs on Saturday. The discharge from the Tarbela has also increased from 142,000 cusecs to 145,000 cusecs.

EPZ: District Nazim Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said on Friday that an Export Promotion Zone (EPZ) would be established in the district for which a suitable site was being identified.

He said while presiding over a meeting at his office that the EPZ would promote local industry.

District Coordination Officer Shafique Ahmed Khoso said in his briefing that a plot of 200 acres was available for establishing the zone.

The nazim formed a subcommittee comprising EDO (revenue) and senior vice-president, Sukkur Chamber of Commerce and Industry to gather information about the site and submit report in the shortest possible time.