SUKKUR, June 22: Water shortage has caused 20 to 25 per cent damage to the Kharif crops including, cotton and rice in Sindh. According to an agriculture expert, rice fields have gone dry because of water shortage, while cotton crop also sustained extensive damages.

Talking to Dawn here on Tuesday, the expert said that Indus river, which used a have a flood-like situation in June, was facing a 35 per cent water shortage, as recorded on June 22.

Moreover, all the seven canals of the Sukkur Barrage were facing a water shortage from 22 per cent to 50 per cent, he said and added that due to the very reason cotton crop in Sukkur and Ghotki had suffered considerable damages.

Similarly, the rice crop in Larkana and Dadu was expected to be bumper, but due to the water shortage 25 per cent less crop was expected as the growers at tail-end were not getting their due quota of water.

The Irrigation authorities have claimed that the situation at Sukkur Barrage will improve next week, and the water shortage will come down to 20 per cent from 35 per cent.

According to irrigation officials, 200,000 cusecs of water was released from Chashma for Guddu and Sukkur barrages on Tuesday which would reach Sukkur in a week's time.

The officials said at present water shortage in the seven canals of the Sukkur Barrage was in the range of 22 to 50 per cent. Kirthar canal is facing 22 per cent shortage, rice canal 40 per cent, Nara canal 30 per cent and Dadu canal is facing a 50 per cent shortage.

The officials said the water flow to the canals would be enhanced as and when the water released from Chashma reached Sukkur. Meanwhile, the water level at Tarbela is on the rise, and it was recorded at 1421-6ft on Tuesday.

Upstream at Sukkur Barrage was recorded at 70,000 cusecs, while downstream was at 30,000 cusecs. At Guddu Barrage upstream was 142,000 cusecs and downstream was 94,000 cusecs, while at Kotri upstream was 18,700 cusecs and downstream remained zero.

PROTEST: Activists of the People's Party Parliamentarians took out protest processions in Kandkhot and Moro on Tuesday against an attack on the Jacobabad PPP president, allegedly by Muttahida Qaumi Movement activists.