HYDERABAD – SIDA’s Chairman Qabool Muhammad Khatian has stated that Sindh is facing an extreme water shortage as the ongoing rice cultivation season witnesses severe water scarcity. In a statement issued on Thursday, the Chairman said that the rainfall at the end of April should have improved the water availability situation. He pointed out that water is also being supplied to the Chashma-Jhelum and Taunsa-Panjnad flood canals even though the Indus River is not in flood.
The SIDA Chairman said that at the beginning of the Kharif season, 4 million acre-feet (MAF) of water was stored in the dams, which was a substantial reserve compared to normal conditions. However, by retaining the water in the dams, farmers in Sindh have not even been able to sow rice nurseries. The Chairman said the majority of Sindh’s irrigated agricultural land is designated for rice cultivation, and the rice transplantation period in the Kotri Barrage command area runs from June 1 to June 15.
He further stated that the purpose of dams is to store surplus water and make it available when needed. “As a result, crops in Sindh couldn’t be cultivated, creating the risk of affecting exports worth approximately $4.5 billion,” he warned. Khatian cautioned that such a situation would cause significant damage to the national economy besides leading to food shortage in the country.
