HYDERABAD, July 8: The Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB) has demanded that the government should declare the command area of Kotri Barrage as calamity-hit because the barrage is facing 80 per cent water shortage during the Kharif season, compared to 36 and 29 per cent recorded at Guddu and Sukkur barrages.

The demand was made at a meeting of the SAB held here on Sunday. Growers from different parts of the province attended the meeting which was presided over by Abdul Majeed Nizamani.

The meeting discussed issues of water, subsidy and law and order. It said that agriculture sector in Sindh would be destroyed if political interference and bribery over water distribution were not ended.

Destruction of agriculture sector, it warned, would adversely affect agricultural-based industries and would lead to joblessness among farm workers.

The meeting demanded completion of works of repairing the irrigation infrastructure damaged by 2010 floods and 2011 rains and Indus dykes by July 25 and removal of encroachments on natural waterways and irrigation networks. It called for legal action against encroachers.

The meeting said that work to desilt and strengthen the LBOD network and other saline water drains should be immediately undertaken. It criticised the mismanagement of water because of which Kotri barrage had recorded 80 per cent shortage.

The Left Bank Canal Area Water Board should explain under what law eight -day rotation was announced for paddy crop.

The SAB said due to non-payment of subsidy the per-acre productivity was less than in other countries. Even India is giving Rs345 billion subsidy only on urea to farmers.

Indian growers get a bag of urea for Rs265 (Pakistani Rs477) and DAP for Rs1,000 (Pakistani Rs1,800). Then Indian government bears 75 per cent cost of agriculture production making it impossible for Pakistan to compete in the international market with an overall 800 per cent higher cost of production, it said.

It demanded that the price of Rs500 should be fixed for a bag of urea, Rs,1800 for DAP and prices of pesticides, diesel, electricity and seed should be brought at par with those in India.