SANGHAR, Jan 20: Over 620 tube-wells, installed by Wapda and the Left Bank Outfall Drain Sanghar component, have failed to lower water table in the district as most of them are lying inoperative.

This was revealed by an investigation conducted by this correspondent. There are 152 tube-wells in the Sanghar south system, 256 in north and 219 in central Sanghar to drain out saline water. There are 168 more tube-wells for draining out additional sweet water from farmland.

In late 1990s and early 2000s, the water table had gone down in the area due to drought. Since then the tube-wells had been lying idle. However, the water supply has improved after last year's rain which has caused subsoil water level to increase but no step has been taken to reactivate tube-wells.

As a result the water table had returned to the level of pre-drought days and has even come to surface. Stagnant seepage water can be seen in depressions and standing crops.

Most of the tube-wells and their machinery are rusting and their conductor wires have been stolen. The connecting drains and even the main drains are choked due to lack of maintenance.

At other places there are ghost operators who are close to local landlords or the officials. Only a few-tube wells, which are situated on the main roads have been kept operational to satisfy the higher officials who pass from there.

Dilbar Mahar, whose lands are situated in Deh Gujheran of Sinjhoro taluka, said that there was one and half feet seepage water in his sugarcane field and his wheat crop had become pale yellow and week due to raised water table.

He said that there were several LBOD tube-wells in Deh Gujheran but he had never seen them being operated and since their installation, the doors of tube-well operating rooms had remained locked.

Another farmer, Mir Mohammad Nizamani, whose lands are located near Chotiari reservoir, said that though there was little water in the reservoir, the seepage had played havoc with his land.

He said that the Wapda officials had told them that tube-wells would be installed around the reservoir to contain the seepage water but nothing had been done in this regard.

Mr Nizamani recalled that when Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali came to inaugurate Chotiari Reservoir, the helipad was under six-foot-deep water. He criticised the officials for wasting Rs4.43 billion on the dysfunctional scheme and urged the authorities to reactivate the tube-wells and the drains.