The Left Bank Canal Area Water Board of Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (SIDA) has announced a water rotation schedule for the irrigation supply and a crackdown on the water thieves.
SIDA spokesman Hizbullah Mangrio told APP here on Sunday that the measures were being taken in view of the water shortage at the Kotri Barrage. “The barrage is facing an overall shortage of 40 percent while there is around 60 percent shortfall at the Akram and Fuleli canals,” he said. According to him, the current gauges at the barrage were over 20,000 cusecs while at Akram the discharge was about 2,200 cusecs and at Fuleli about 13,500 cusecs. Due to the prevailing situation the SIDA would take action against the growers who were involved in stealing the water, he said.
“The growers whose water course have been working with the broken outlets will be stopped the supply,” he declared advising the consumers of the irrigation water to ensure that their guages were receiving water as per the sanctioned supply. He said the SIDA would register FIRs for action on the growers who were found to be stealing the water.
The supply of water to some sub-divisions under the Left Bank Canal AWB would be put on the rotation, he informed. According to the details, the Qazi and Shadi Large sub divisions of Akram Canal would continue to get the water but Kadhan and Gaaja sub divisions would face a 4-day closure. Similarly, the 3 sub divisions of Fuleli canal including Badin, Tando Bago and Talhar would get an uninterrupted supply, however, the growers at the Matli sub division would have to deal with a 3-day closure.
Nevertheless, the 2 sub divisions of the Fuleli’s off-taking Canal, Gunni Canal, would get a continuous supply.
According to the Mangrio, the water supply outlook appears to improve in the next few days after which the water rotation would be ended. He advised the growers to use the water sparingly, avoid theft and report its occurrence to the irrigation staff.
