Badin district crops, livestock and population are under threat due to shortage of irrigation water while sugar industry is on the edge of collapse. Growers are removing the recently sown sugarcane from fields and selling it as a feeder for cattle at piris.
According to a survey conducted by this correspondent, the worst affected were Badin and Shaheed Fazil Rahu Talukas where people in a state of frustration were destroying sugarcane crop after spending huge amount on development of land and cultivation.
A grower of Badin, Abdul Razzaque told this correspondent that he was cultivating sugarcane crop on 15 acres for second consecutive year, spent huge amount on labour, development and fertiliser but shortage of water forced him to sell it as a fodder to avoid further losses.
Ghazanfar Ali of Kadhan said, he cultivated new crop on six acres this year by spending huge amount on development which would have been a bumper crop but water shortage resulted in dying of crop and forced him either to remove immature crop, sell it as fodder or wait for water and let it wither, said Ghazanfar.
A landlord Anwer Hussain of Tando Bago said that he wanted to develop his land for sugarcane but was aggrieved by the millers for getting indents and later delayed payments which protected him from disaster. He said 75 percent of country's sugar industry was based in Sindh, while Badin was a major contributor.
Executive Engineer Irrigation Division Lined Channel, Mohammad Ali Zardari said it was unfortunate that almost all canals and distributaries of his three sub-divisions ie Kadhan, Badin and Shadi sub-divisions were facing water shortage and tail enders facing crisis of even drinking water.
He said the situation would deteriorate in coming weeks unless water was not released from Guddu, immediately. District Officer Agriculture M Yousuf Rahemoon when contacted confirmed that growers were removing unriped cane crop from their land. Rahemoon said sugarcane cultivation in Badin district was reduced by 6,136 hectares this year as against last year's 64,869 hectares.
Pointing out the causes of less cultivation, he said, growers faced hardships in receiving payment of outstanding dues and annoyed by mill owners for less cane prices. Growers were getting desperate and any further delay in supply of water would damage socio-economic fabric of this area. The population fears a famine if they fail to cultivate Kharif crops this year.