LARKANA: A combination of an unprecedented heatwave, acute water shortages and a crumbling irrigation infrastructure has pushed standing crops across Sindh to the brink of devastation, agricultural bodies have warned.

Syed Siraj Auliya Rashdi, the Larkana division President of the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture, stated on Friday that this year’s extreme temperatures have broken all previous records. The climate spike coincides with a severe supply crisis across major right-bank canals originating from the Sukkur Barrage — including the Rice, Dadu, and Khirthar canals — coinciding with the critical paddy transplantation season.

The Khirthar canal also provides vital agricultural supplies to neighboring Balochistan.

The chamber alleged that annual de-silting and maintenance of canals and distributaries were either delayed or inadequately executed, severely disrupting water distribution.

The crisis poses a direct threat to the region’s paddy crop, a cornerstone of Sindh’s agrarian economy and a vital source of export revenue for Pakistan. Growers had prepared nurseries of IRRI-6 and other rice varieties in line with official sowing schedules following encouraging initial water indicators. However, supply lines rapidly deteriorated, particularly within the Rice Canal command area.

The chamber now fears that even hybrid varieties will fail to receive water during critical transplantation and establishment phases. Industry leaders warn this will result in a substantial reduction in cultivated acreage, plummeting crop yields and severe financial losses for growers, and a sharp decline in national rice export volumes.

This crisis unfolds against a backdrop of soaring production costs. Over the past 12 months, sharp price increases for fertilizers, certified seeds, pesticides, diesel, electricity and machinery have placed unprecedented financial pressure on farming families.

The chamber has urged the Sindh govt and the irrigation department to implement emergency intervention measures, demanding transparent water distribution and immediate de-silting operations to avert widespread rural unemployment and food security shortages.

Reports from Shahdadkot further highlight the structural breakdown facing the region’s network.

Ishaq Mughiri, former president of the Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB) for Qambar-Shahdadkot, confirmed on Friday that the North Western Canal — which possesses a design discharge capacity of 10,000 cusecs — is flowing at a dangerously low level. The shortage impacts the Ratodero Branch (covering a cultivable area of 76,000 acres), the Shahdadkot (SKT) Branch (18,000 acres), and the Saifullah Magsi (SM) Branch (155,000 acres), alongside the Khairthar and Sallar branches.

Under normal design discharge conditions, these branches support a diverse range of crops, including Basmati C-9, IRRI-9, Super Basmati, 2000 Millennium, Kainat-7122, Kissan 1047, and various hybrid seeds.

However, a survey conducted by local farmers’ associations has exposed systemic water theft. The investigation identified 65 illegal pipes inserted into the Khairthar branch and 35 illegal pipes inserted into the Saifullah Magsi branch.

Mr Mughiri alleged that politically influential individuals operating on both banks of the Saifullah Magsi branch, spanning the Sindh and Balochistan borders, are actively siphoning off water.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2026