HYDERABAD: Though the recent heavy rainfall has damaged standing crops, mostly paddy, chilli, onion, cotton and vegetables in several areas in Sindh, the people in coastal areas or those living along natural lakes and wetlands are celebrating rains, believing it will fill their makeshift water ponds and they may get more fish catch during the season.
People, keeping close eye over the weather pattern change, call it delayed rain shower, which badly affected standing crops and nurseries in some parts of the province, leaving growers in helpless.
Paddy crop is at ripe flowering stage, ready for harvesting. Similarly, cotton picking is going on. But just before harvesting rice and picking cotton and chilli the heavy rains ruined the precious crops.
Representatives of Sindh Growers Alliance, the most influential farmers’ body, told The News that the rains affected some parts of the province, damaging standing crops. But, since there is a forecast for more rains, farmers in the entire province are afraid of further losses.
Gulab Shah, a grower of Keti Bunder of Thatta district said the rains damaged his crops, mostly paddy, chilli and fragile vegetables across 200 acres. "Entire crop lands have come under 4-feet water and there is no chance to save the crops," he said.
Shah said the paddy crop has capability to sustain more water but since it was at ripe flowering stage the heavy rains ruined the flowers. Only in Keti Bunder, which is a coastal area, agriculture crops, mainly vegetables, chilli and paddy spreading over around 9,000 acres, were destroyed. The crops include paddy, paan sheds, chilli, cotton and variety of seasonal vegetables. The coastal area usually produces a variety of vegetables, paddy, banana, papaya and paan. Growers supply vegetables to major markets, like Karachi.
Quite recently, just before the rains, at least eight vehicles, including trucks, were loaded daily with vegetables for supplies to Karachi. But, now the routes are disconnected by heavy rains and growers do not have any option. Hundreds of workforce, including women have been engaged with this work of vegetable picking, packing and loading vehicles have lost their sources of earning due to rain damages.
Shah, however, said fishermen are celebrating the arrival of fresh water through rains after a long time and they are expecting their ponds to be refilled and get more fish catch. The rain has normalised the sea surface temperature and people, mostly associating with fishing, are celebrating the rains in the entire coastal area.
The heavy rains have brought prosperity for fishermen communities and those residing at isolated islands in Thatta district have access to sweet water. The fishermen believe that the rain will help recharging makeshift water ponds, which usually store water for drinking and domestic use for the community and they are taking the shower as blessing. They are feeling secured in terms of availability of potable water in the ponds, which exist in almost every village.
Otherwise, the people would have to depend on commercial water tankers and other sources to buy water for domestic use, spending huge amount of their earning for water. Noor Muhammad Thahimor of Jati area of Sujawal district said the rain filled around 60 fresh water lakes, ponds and drains after a long time and people are happy. He has a list of these water bodies registered with the government's fisheries department. The water bodies will get more fish seeds as well as benefit entire livestock and wildlife inhabiting in the area.
Natural grazing fields near Kalka Chhan area in Jati Taluka always attract livestock holders from remote areas. Since growers are reluctant to use canal water during the rainy season, the water channels are posing threats to the people in the nearby areas. Similar problem is artificial drains, carrying water from other areas flowing to entre in to the sea. But, now there is high tide season and seawater is also pushing rainwater back.
In some places canal breaches are reported, causing loss to the crops and may affect the fresh water ponds in the coastal areas. Fishermen have experiences about the impacts of drains flowing in to the sea and looking afraid of its impacts.
Affected growers are approaching district administrations and local legislators, advising them to assess the losses of crops and infrastructure and register the losers for compensation. But, presently there is no response by the government functionaries to assess the losses and take precautionary measures as the forecast for more rains may create uncertain situation for growers.