SCA demanded to declare Sindh calamity hit province

Ahsan Baloch
SUKKUR: Sindh chamber of agriculture protested against shortage of water in sindh and demanded that Sindh should be declared calamity-ridden and agri debt of less than 16 acres of agricultural growers should be written off. They demanded the federal government that 13000 of cusecs of water stolen between Gudu and Tunsa should be investigated. Wapda should be kept away from storing water in dams One lac and 25 thousand cusecs of water should be given to Sindh immediately at Gudu Barrage, the demanded. The growers rejected the water readings of the barrages by which are being provided by the Indus River System Authority as faulty and called for installation of the telemeter system.
They welcomed the decision by Federal government to export Sindh Mangoes from May 15.
Weekly meeting of Sindh Chamber of Agriculture chaired by President Syed Mohammad Shah Miran through video link at a time in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Larkana Mirpur in Sanghar and Ghotki.
Growers said that dangerous position of water shortage has been created on three barrages in Sindh Guddu, Sukkur and Kotri Barrage. They asked for storing 5 million acre feet water in Tarbela next year before the onset of summer season for Sindh so that the prevailing situation can be averted.
They said more than 2000 cusec of water had been stolen by Punjab through opening of Chasma link canal. He said that at this time Dadu Canal and Rice Canal of Sukkur barrage are closed due to shortage of water. Meeting was attended by large no if growers including, General Secretary Zahid Khan Bhurgari, Nabi Bakhsh sathio, Mohammad Nisar Memon Mir Abdul Kareem Talpur, Qadir Nawaz Memon Agha Khadim Hussain Shah, and others.