The Rice growing season is about to come in upper Sindh districts, frustrations of small growers of this area are also mounting because last year they had to suffer serious water shortage. They spent a huge amount on rice seed, fertiliser, and land cultivation for the crop but due to disconcerting water shortage, most of the farmers could not sow their crop if some of them planted it, they had failed to acquire a proper average as a result they carried an irreparable loss.
Water condition is disconsolatory in the entire province, recently a campaign has started in District Badin against water shortage. Here are few critical reasons of the crisis, Mismanagement is on top of the reasons because there is no system or feasible mechanism for fair distribution of water, no canalization of branches, crude water courses, provincial irrigation department has completely torpid and water theft by influential landlords or waderas.
They have local power so rest of the system is hostage to them, they use water only for their fields others are not allowed to take water before them, it was observed that there was an artificial water shortage. Power full landlords have constructed illegal cemented barriers on branches and water courses to cultivate their own fields, water is given to small and unbacked farmers at the end of the season that’s why they can not get a good average and fall victim to strong financial crisis.
Sindh irrigation department should focus on the problems of farmers so that they can sow their crop at the right time, the department should also take action against the culprits which are involved in water theft.
GULZAR ALI PANHWAR,
Islamabad, May 7.