Executive Committee of Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB) expressed apprehensions over the extremely poor water availability, which might take heavy toll of agriculture production.
The executive committee, which met under the Chairmanship of SAB president, Abdul Majeed Nizamani, was reviewing the cotton sowing and water stress.
The meeting was informed that at present when cotton sowing in progress in lower and central Sindh only 18,000 cusec water is being supplied to provincial net work instead of agreed 51,100 cusecs which indicates that if the water availability was not improved the crop would remain under water stress.
The committee said that the entire irrigation system is plagued with corruption, breaches and lawlessness which can be gauged by the fact that the growers till date have not been informed about the availability of water and the formula under which the water distribution is being carried out. The committee suggested that the water should be supplied to agriculture sector in accordance with the water accord.
The committee also demanded that to minimise the water conveyance losses the government should release Rs 25 billion in the budget 2004-05 to rehabilitate the provincial irrigation network.
The committee said that provincial food department responsible for wheat crises in the province due to its ill-conceived policies.
The provincial food secretary rhetoric that the situation is well under control cannot substitute for sound policy even knowing that well in advance that the wheat production would be around 2.2 to 2.4 million tones.
The committee demanded that ban on movement of wheat should be withdrawn. The Committee also demanded constitution of a high level committee with full participation of growers to achieve autarky in staple food.
The committee strongly resented over increasing petroleum product prices.
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