SANGHAR, Feb 7: Water shortage in Nara Canal is badly affecting wheat crop with all branches and distributaries in three sub-divisions Jhol, Khadro and Kot Ghulam Mohammad and half of the sub-divisions of Mirpurkhas completely closed. There are five sub-divisions in Jamrao division.

Nara canal with normal flow of 16,600 cusecs is running below 5,000 cusecs with no hopes of improvements before Feb 15. Farmers, first hit by urea fertiliser shortage, are now encountering drought-like situation due to canal closure. General Secretary, Small Growers Association, Hassan Askari said that water shortage would not only hit per acre wheat yield but other crops such as sugarcane, vegetable and orchards specially tomatoes and chilly.

The farming community has demanded of the irrigation authorities to at least announce water rotation programme so that they could schedule their agricultural activities accordingly.

They alleged that water in Nara was reduced for desilting and the canal remained closed from Jan 6 for 20 days but it was not carried out and whatever little water was available had been diverted to Chotiari reservoir.

They alleged that it was an artificial shortage created by the irrigation officials to damage agriculture crops.