HYDERABAD, June 2: Serious shortage of water in the command area of Kotri Barrage recorded somewhere near 75 per cent, contrary to the irrigation secretary’s earlier statement putting it at 28 per cent, will badly affect paddy sowing in the province after having dealt a serious blow to wheat production.

Figures collected by Dawn on Monday reveal that only 9,600 cusec water is available at Kotri Barrage as against its requirement of 26,000 cusec in accordance with Water Accord 1991.

The barrage has four off-taking canals and 40 per cent of them are perennial and 60 per cent non-perennial, according to irrigation officials.

The shortage has already delayed paddy sowing season for around a month. Under normal circumstances, it starts between June 1 and 10 and almost 100 per cent sowing is completed within days but given persistent water shortage only 12 to 14 per cent sowing had been done so far. Paddy seeds need 30 days to take roots and grow into a sapling, which is then transplanted all over the field and takes another 120 days or so getting matured. Being a high delta crop rice needs continuous supply of water and the growers start preparing nurseries of paddy from May 1 because they are supposed to get water by then.

Another cash crop badly hit by water shortages is cotton. The best period for cotton sowing in the command area of Kotri Barrage is April 15-May 30.

According to Sindh Abadgar Board general secretary Mehmood Nawaz Shah, Sindh produces two million tons of the country’s overall production of five million tons. “While there is shortage in Kotri Barrage’s command area, the Sukkur Barrage has 90 per cent availability of water but rotation programme has reduced its availability and we are experiencing 75 per cent water shortage in Sukkur Barrage area,” he said.

Rohri Canal, the largest canal of the barrage, and Nara Canal are both under rotation programme as well as most of the divisions of Rohri Canal. “To me it is mind-boggling to get to the reasons of water shortage and when irrigation official say there will be 28 per cent shortage why this 75 per cent shortage. Where has the water gone?” the SAB general secretary asked.

The growers claim that they face water shortage even during Rabi season that begins in November and ends in March followed by commencement of Kharif in March which ends in October. They say that even after mid-February and up to March 31 they witness water shortage of 75 per cent.

Water shortage led to 10 per cent shortfall in wheat production which the growers believed would have been more if climatic conditions had not been favourable. “We think wheat’s yield would have been cut by 25 per cent if we had not had favourable weather conditions,” Shah maintained.He said: “I believe that Wapda has illegally withdrawn water for electricity generation otherwise it couldn’t have been done because water can be withdrawn for agriculture only and that too upon submission of indents by a province which are not there”.

SAB claims that Sindh produced 2.9 million tons of wheat last year, less that the government’s projected figure of 3.3 million tons. This year, wheat production had been recorded at 2.6 million tons, which shows around 14.9 per cent of drop in yield, it believes.

Irrigation officials are hopeful discharge of water upstream Kotri Barrage is likely to increase following release of water from Sukkur downstream that will take at least 10 to 12 days to reach Kotri and around 20,000 to 21,000 cusec water will be available after losses.

“The secretary did make a correct estimation during Rabi season last year of 28 per cent water shortage. It’s only due to some abnormal shortage that all dams remain empty and water shortage is recorded at 70 per cent over last couple of weeks,” said Kotri Barrage chief engineer Manzoor Sheikh.

He said that the barrage released water even to non-perennial canals to cater to need of water for human consumption otherwise technically no water was to be released into non-perennial canals including Pinyari, Phulelli canal and part of Kalri Baghar feeder which also fell in the category of non-perennial. “Even Sindh minister irrigation admitted 50 per cent water shortage a month ago,” he said.