Farmers Association of Pakistan (FAP), expressing concern over water shortage for agriculture sector, has urged the government to take some practical steps to overcome this problem. The organisation, in its recently held meeting, said during the Rabi season, the water shortage would be increased from 35 percent to 40 percent, which would affect wheat crop, thus increasing the cost of production.
This was disclosed by Chief Co-ordinator of the FAP Dr Mohammad Tariq Bucha in a statement issued here on Friday. He said the FAP Executive Committee observed that the farmers were already distressed by high prices of agri inputs.
Referring to Chanab water, being stopped by India, he said after 1976, no serious efforts were made to construct a dam on Indus river to stop wastage of water into the sea. The FAP demanded of the government to have a clear strategy on it. "Something practical must be done. Our agriculture cannot afford wastage of water, especially when we are already short of water.
"In Kharif season, seven million acre feet water was wasted into the sea, which could have been used to fill up a seven MAF water reservoir and 2.1 million acre crop could have been irrigated," he observed, and added that an economy under debts could ill afford this loss. The FAP urged the government to announce the construction of Kalabagh Dam immediately and its opponents should be convinced by briefing them about its positive points and its impact on the national economy.
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