SUKKUR, Oct 17: About 41 per cent water shortage prevails at the Sukkur Barrage as a result supply to Abul Wah and Patni Shakh from the Khairpur East Feeder has been suspended. However, the Mirwah Canal has been provided water according to the indent.

According to irrigation sources, supply to the Nara Canal has been reduced to 5,000 cusecs against its quota of 9,000 cusecs whereas the Rohri Canal is being provided 8,700 cusecs of water.

Sources further said that supply to the Rice Canal, which irrigates rice-cultivating areas, would be suspended from Oct 20.

Irrigation officials said that on Sunday, a total of 23,500 cusecs of water had been provided to off-taking canals of the Sukkur Barrage.

The water flow at the upstream Sukkur Barrage was recorded at 30,700 cusecs and 7,200 cusecs at the downstream.

At the upstream Guddu Barrage, flow of 39,400 cusecs was recorded and at the downstream 31,400 cusecs. Flow at theupstream Kotri Barrage remained 7,000 cusecs and nil atthe downstream.

Officials said that they hoped that the present water shortage would end in 15 days as 10,000 cusecs of water had been released from the Chashma Canal to cope up with the shortage in Sindh.

They said that 2,000 cusecs had reached the Sukkur Barrage and remaining 8,000 cusecs would reach here in next 10 days, which would increase the pond level of the River Indus to 196 feet.

Furthermore, the TP link canal of the Taunsa Canal as well as Muzaffargarh and Dera Ghazi Khan canals had been closed due to which additional 2,000 cusecs of water would be available for Sindh, they said. They said that presently there was no shortage of water in Punjab.