Sindh facing acute water shortage for Kharif crops

Production of crops for Kharif season would be badly affected due to shortage of irrigation water in Sindh province, it is learnt. The major crops of Sindh for Kharif are sugarcane, cotton and rice and acute shortage of water would ultimately result in low productivity, causing loss to poor growers, official sources in the irrigation and power department told Business Recorder on Tuesday.
They said that the overall water situation at different locations as of June 16 shows inflow upstream of Tarbella at 119400 and outflow downstream 14000 cusecs, 55700 cusecs inflow upstream and 14000 outflow downstream at Kabul, , 48572 cusecs inflow upstream and 60,000 cusecs outflow downstream at Mangla, 202514 cusecs upstream inflow and 194114 cusecs outflow downstream at Kalabagh, 188850 cusecs inflow upstream and 158350 cusecs outflow downstream at Taunsa and 14439 cusecs inflow upstream and 1239 outflow downstream at Panjnad.
Comparing the water availability with the previous years, they said the province was getting 32,270 cusecs water two months back, which now stood below 15,000 cusecs. The sources said that the irrigation water at Punjab's off-taking canals remained at 26,700 cusecs out of which only 4,879 cusecs water was being withdrawn.
At present, they said, at least 143,064 cusecs of water was available at Guddu Barrage and the downstream discharge stood at 112,683, 102,190 cusecs of water at Sukkur Barrage and downstream discharge was 45,400 and 33345 cusecs available at Kotri Barrage. However the downstream discharge was Nil. According to Para-2 of the Water Accord 1991, Guddu Barrage is to receive 31100 cusecs of water, Sukkur 56000 cusecs and Kotri 32500 cusecs at downstream, the sources added.
The withdrawals status of various canals as recorded today include 11040 cusecs at Begari Sindh Feeder, 11836 cusecs at Desert Pat Feeder, 7505 cusecs at Ghotki Feeder, 8100 cusecs at North Western Canal, 11300 cusecs at Rice Canal, 4050 cusecs at Dadu Canal, 16500 cusecs at Nara Canal, 2240 cusecs at Khairpur Feeder East, 12850 cusecs at Rohri Canal, 1750 cusecs at Khairpur Feeder West, 6650 cusecs at Kalri Baghar, 2655 cusecs at Akram Wah, 7850 cusecs at Pinyari (Old Fulleli), 16025 cusecs at New Fulleli, 7 cusecs at Wadhu Wah and 7 cusecs at Fasadi Wah, they said. They said that the water level at Manchar Laka was recorded at 109.00 cusecs, 116.40 cusecs at Dadu-Moro Bridge and 0.80 at Nai Gaj.