BADIN, March 28: The EDO, revenue, Badin, Ahsan Ali Khan, said on Thursday the area under cultivation in Badin district decreased by 21.62 per cent during Kharif, 2002-3, due to the water shortage.

He was speaking at a meeting here on Thursday.

He informed the meeting the revenue field staff had recovered 77.4 per cent (Rs39.336 million) of the farm tax dues in the district during Kharif, 2002-03.

He said the water rate had been reduced from Rs700 per acre to Rs500 per acre.