Farmers fear that if the present situation continues and it does not rain soon, not only the Rabi crops will receive a serious hit but sowing of Kharif crops, which begins in March, will be delayed and suffer.

Initially, the government had predicted 30 per cent water shortage for the Rabi crops. But the recent Irsa meeting put the countrywide shortage at 34 per cent, while growers in Sindh say “Actually the shortage has gone up beyond 50 per cent.”

“If our standing wheat crop does not get the last round of water, the growers will suffer huge financial losses,” said growers' leaders.

Water scarcity in most of the tail-end areas of the province is graver, where the farmers allege that irrigation department officials are selling water to influential landlords at the cost of small growers and subsistence farmers. There are also reports of widespread water theft by landlords in connivance with the officials of the department.

The irrigation water in canals is fed by River Indus. The reduced flow in canals, tributaries and branches had led to conflicts and fracas in many areas among growers in different parts of the province which had even claimed some lives, according to Nabi Khan Brohi, a growers' representative in Shikarpur district.

Irrigation water situation in Hyderabad, Jacobabad, Badin, Dadu Nawabshah (Benazirabad) and Thatta districts is not encouraging while in the rest of the province the situation is worse.

Jacobabad district's growers say that the Begari and Khirthar canals, which provide water to the district's arable lands, are flowing at very low level for the last several weeks, rendering thousands of acres barren.

“Growers will face losses worth millions of rupees if their standing crops do not get water and dry fast,” says wheat grower Ali Ahmed Chandio.

Nawabshah wheat growers claim some 40-45 branches in the tail-end areas have completely dried up as no water has been released, while only 40 per cent wheat has been cultivated on lands close to canals.

Among other reasons, illegal selling of irrigation water by surveyors, Darogahs (water regulator operators) and SDOs of the provincial irrigation department is the major cause of water shortfall at the tail-end, alleges Zahid Hussain Shah, SAB general secretary, Nawabshah.

Talking about impact of water shortage on wheat sowing in the district, Akhund Ghulam Mohammad of SCA said “Overall shortage is at around 40 per cent because of which out of 600,000 acres available, only 400,000 acres could be brought under wheat cultivation.

Serious water shortage in River Indus at Piyaroo, Johi, Pir Gul, Bakharani, Khudabad branches of Dadu district has also been reported by growers, who say that their standing wheat crop will suffer enormous losses if the present water situation persisted during the next 10 days.

A wheat growers in Khairpur Nathanshah taluka of Dadu district said that tail-end farmers used to grow wheat over 5,000 acres but this Rabi season they have completely ignored its cultivation in view of Irsa's early warning of water shortage.

Kazi Shafiq Mahesar, a wheat grower, says “50-60 per cent of the wheat crop in Dadu district could be damaged if water is not available at a time when it is close to its maturity.

Known for the biggest date orchards, Khairpur Mirs is also faced with water shortage at Sukkur Barrage.

Mirwah canal alone used to irrigate thousands of acres on which not only date orchards but also different vegetables and fruits were grown. But with the present reduced water flow in the canal--- only at 10-15 per cent of its capacity--- has put the wheat crop on 8000-9000 acres at risk throughout the district, confirms an official in the district irrigation office.

In Thatta and Badin irrigation water shortage is put at 40 per cent by local growers. Abdul Majeed Nizamani, SAB president, informed this scribe that out of 14 main canals only six were flowing at 60 per cent of their capacity.

Kotri Barrage's two major non-perennial canals of 30,000 cusecs discharge capacity - Panyari and Phuleli canals - have dried up. Only Akramwah canal is flowing irrigating lands of military officials, he said.

“At present, an area of some 2.4 million acres is under wheat cultivation all over Sindh. If wheat crop fails to get last round of water during next 10-15 days, the total yield could be at 2.6 million tons as against 3.5 million tons target for Sindh,” he predicted. “It will be a great financial loss, and could escalate food crisis in the province and millions of people might slip into the vicious circle of poverty,” he warned.

In addition, tomato on 1,40,000 acres, sunflower on 400,000 acres and fodder on thousands of acres in the province will also be damaged if supply of irrigation water does not improve, Majeed Nizamani warned.

The growers believe that upcoming Kharif crops, in case the present water shortfall continues till early June, will be badly affected.