Pakistan Kissan Movement Secretary General, Chaudhry Hanif Gujjar has claimed that mismanagement of canal water by the Irrigation Departments of Sindh and Punjab has damaged wheat crop in perennial areas (where the underground water is brackish and the canals run for 12 months).
Wheat in tube-well areas has been able to survive but in the areas where underground water is brackish and the farmers were at the mercy of the Irrigation Department, crops have been badly damaged and certain areas have been completely washed off due to non-availability of water and closure of irrigation canals for the last almost three months. After completing the tour of Sindh and Southern Punjab, Gujjar while addressing the Executive Committee meeting of PKM said that Provincial Governments of Sindh and Punjab have failed to create co-ordination between the farmers and the Irrigation Department officials as the farmers remain ignorant of irrigation water closure schedule and opening of the canals.
Executive Committee of Pakistan Kissan Movement has appealed to the caretaker Prime Minister, Mohammadmian Soomro and Chief Ministers Sindh and Punjab to take strict action against such black-sheeps in the Irrigation Department by removing them from their offices and bringing farmer friendly Irrigation Officials to bring about farmer friendly policies in the country.
The members said, if government did not take action against the corrupt officials and remove this menace, the country would face another wheat crisis whose intensity would be much more than the present crisis situation.