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The recent rains in Sindh's arid zone, Kachho and hilly areas in Dadu district have given people a reason to celebrate. But for the growers, dependent on the Dadu canal, shortage of water still remains the biggest problem.
The Dadu canal, built in 1932, is the main source of irrigation water for farmers living in Kachho hilly area, barrage zone, and the low-land riverine area called Katcho. The economic status of these areas varies. The district is prone to natural calamities like Indus river floods, rain floods and droughts. But the situation of canal water shortage due to water theft in the upper parts has caused heavy economic losses to the growers, including poor farmers who are unable to cultivate their lands.
Reports gathered through the community people of arid Kachho area reveal that almost all rain-fed rivers flowing long distance from mountainous areas are benefitting growers in cultivating their lands, though crop sowing is delayed in Kachho area. Natural ponds are filled and wells recharged; grazing fields have become green, attracting herders with their animals.
According to the community, heavy monsoon rains have given some relief to them after a long time. Otherwise, the population in the drought-stricken Kachho area had been facing severe economic issues due to livelihood and vegetation losses.
Kachho has a population of over 250,000 people, and a majority of them depend on farming and livestock. Rearing animals is a major livelihood for these people. They have been involved in this profession for generations. Their life revolves around their animals, which depend on the scarce rain and sparse vegetation in this arid zone. So, when it does not rain, their life gets difficult, since lack of water and fodder badly affects their livestock assets.
In the recent past, many families were forced to migrate due to unavailability of fodder and its high price in the market. Local people still recall the devastating droughts in 2001 and 2007 which hit them hard in the arid zone, resulting in animal deaths and mass migration of herders and farmers. Since then the Kachho has not regained its charm for the people, who are crying for the restoration of their livelihoods and provision of water for humans and livestock.
The Kachho area is always prone to disasters. In monsoon, rainwater from the mountain slopes rushes towards the population living downhill, creating havoc on its way, while during the dry season, people are hit by water shortage and droughts.
The community thinks that these problems can be fixed if only the government paid attention and took appropriate measures. Livestock herders have expressed concerns over the lack of government support to the livestock sector.
Nazir Bhand, a farmer activist of the area, said more than 80,000 acres of the land, only near Khudabad has turned barren in the last few years because of water shortage.
“We have arranged meetings with district administration, irrigation department officials, and some elected representatives, but the issues are still unsolved,” he said.
A recent meeting organised by a local non-government organisation in Dadu city, brought lawyers, growers and livestock holders together to find a solution to save the lands and address the livelihood issue of the people. The growers pointed out that a large portion of agriculture lands was being turned into barren land, causing colossal losses.
The meeting discussed the issue of water shortage faced by farmers in Dadu district as the growers mostly depended on the Dadu Canal for cultivation. This canal draws water from Sukkur barrage, but due to bad governance and theft, the irrigation water does not reach the south.
Different reports designed by some organisations indicate that Dadu district had experienced huge economic losses during the floods of 2010 and 2011, which affected 920,000 people in 1,253 villages. Crops standing on 560,000 acres of lands were destroyed, while infrastructure too was damaged on a huge scale. Many growers are still waiting to be compensated for their losses incurred by the floods.
The growers in Kachho and Kohistan have on several occasions decried the apathetic approach of the ruling elite, who are their representatives in the law making assemblies.
Bhand said, "In fact, protest demonstrations have been held to attract the policy makers to look in to the grave situation, but they have not paid any heed. Hundreds of families, including sharecroppers, women and rural workers depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. When lands are destroyed, all these families become jobless.”
A leading farmer, Yousuf Channa, narrating his ordeal said that presently all the local landlords, mostly small scale landholders faced water shortage because certain influential landlords, who had political patronage in the power corridors, have made new watercourses or installed water suction pumps, depriving others, mostly tail-enders.
Dhani Bux Wighio, a peasant rights activist, said now the situation has been changed in terms of farmers’ rights. For instance, he said, “We have been demanding to set up 'hari courts' under the Sindh Tenancy Act for a long time, but the government is not serious to give rights to the peasants. We all, including land owners, small farmers and sharecroppers are on the same page, fighting for our survival because of water shortage.”
Shujauddin Qureshi, an advocacy manager said it was a bitter truth that peasants were not recognised as formal workers and hence they could not claim labour rights, or forms their own unions like industrial workers. For solving the water shortage issue of Dadu growers, he said that there was a need for an effective movement to mobilise growers and other stakeholders for securing their rights. “Since a majority of rural workforce depends on agriculture for their livelihoods, so they all must be part of this movement,” he said.
He lauded the role of local lawyers who were supporting growers in their struggle for safeguarding their rights.
The meeting observed that the government has made laws but there was no implementation of the same, which resulted in growing deprivation and insecurity among farmers.
The writer is a staff member
