Hyderabad
Haleem Adil Sheikh, the Opposition Leader in Sindh Assembly has said that there was only the irrigation water shortage in the minor and waterway of tail-end areas while water of their share was be-ing stolen by the influential landlords in connivance with the irrigation officials.
Sheikh speaking during Water Conference organ-ized by Sindh Agriculture Research Council in Hy-derabad Press Club on Friday, outright rejected the claims of the high-ups of Sindh government and PPP rulers that water of Sindh’s share was being stolen by Punjab i n connivance with Irsa officials.
Sheikh said that due to vagaries of the climate change and insufficient premonsoon rainfall the catchment areas of the rivers and delayed in glacier melting Punjab was facing 21 water shortage while Sindh was facing 20 per cent water shortage adding he said that despite that things could easily be man-aged and all the farmers could be provided with water if there was strong will and writ of the gov-ernment to do something for those, who were being deprived of their due share of water.
He said that was enough water at all three barrages of the province adding he lamented the fact that irrigation officials instead of ensuring the just and judicious water distribution among the landowners in every district were only concerned to irrigate the lands of those, who had the backing of the ruling party in Sindh.
“The things in whole Sindh province are badly mismanaged and nobody is taking the responsibly to stem the rot” he added and noted it with concern that farmers in the month of July were on the roads demanding water for the rice cultivation.—APP
