It is not the lesser inflow in the river Indus at Guddu, Sukkur and Kotri Barrages, but the mismanagement, obsolete transmission system and water thefts that have caused water shortage at the canal tail ends and damage to cotton and rice crops in the province, irrigation experts told Business Recorder, on Saturday.
A senior irrigation expert who has been interacting with Sindh irrigation department in connection with apportionment of water resources on behalf of Punjab government during the past three decades estimated that Sindh province is losing 60 percent of its water share through transmission of water from Guddu to downstream Kotri Barrage by mismanagement, obsolete canals, minors, watercourses and theft of water.
The expert said that studies have shown that the overall availability of irrigation water in Pakistan is still more than warranted by the aggregate cultivated area, however, the problem lies in the inefficient use which is a result of water losses in obsolete conveyance systems and poor land preparation
He said it is absolutely incorrect to say that Punjab ever committed theft of water share of Sindh or any other provinces, but whenever needed it made sacrifices in the national interest. "The Sindh government has posted monitors (SDOs) at all the dams, reservoirs, barrages and headworks in Punjab to monitor the water releases from the rivers flowing through the Punjab province but they have never made any such complaint," he added.
He said the federal government had installed the telemetry system at all the barrages and canal heads at a cost of Rs 330 million so that all the stakeholders would receive their due share from head to tail of irrigation network through the installation of this system.
He admitted that the telemetry system has failed to ensure equitable and judicious distribution of irrigation water from head to tail and it is the tailenders who are facing scarcity of water. The Sindh government can avoid the huge 60 percent water losses, which are historically 15 percent, by demolishing the illegally constructed water courses, canals and scores of tubewells as water theft was not possible without the collusion of influential landlords and irrigation officials," he opined. Flow into Guddu barrage was 107,000 cusecs, Sukkur 88,900 cusecs and Kotri Barrage 37,767 cusecs.