ISLAMABAD    -  Sindh Minister for Agriculture Mohammad Ismail Rahu yesterday said the crops in Sindh had been damaged due to water shortage.

Speaking at a news conference here, he said the federal government justifies the Indus Water Treaty in its own benefit but when it comes to water distribution, “they say distribute water in a different way.”

He said the needs of all the provinces must be met first. “Downstream ten million acre feet or five thousand cusecs per day should be given. Three major kharif (monsoon) crops are being affected in Sindh,” he said.

Ismail Rahu said Sindh did not steal Balochistan’s water. “The Sindh representative in IRSA has put the case in the meetings. We earn the most foreign exchange from rice. Non-basmati rice is mostly grown in Sindh,” he said.

He said last year rice was planted on 400,000 hectares but this year only 86,000 hectares have been planted.

“What we used to say two months ago is now being accepted by WAPDA (Water and Power Development Authority) and IRSA. Sindh demands judicial inquiry into water distribution,” he added.

The provincial minister said those responsible for the targeting Sindh must be identified. “The federal government is ignoring Sindh. Trillions of rupees are plundered on the water of Sindh. We keep saying stop importing tomatoes but it is not accepted. When the tomato crop came in Sindh, the farmer did not get even five rupees per kg,” he added.

He said depriving Sindh of its due share of irrigation water was a cruel joke with the people of Sindh and said that he held the chairman of IRSA responsible for the boundary on the waters of Sindh at Taunsa Link Canal. 

He warned of the dire consequences if water was not provided in rice cultivation zones of the province and added that entire Pakistan might face food insecurity if farmers were not provided water.