Conserving natural resources amid water politics

HYDERABAD: Farmers in disaster-prone areas of Mirpurkhas district have taken an initiative on their own to improve natural resource management despite facing chronic water scarcity at the hands of powerful as well as politically resourceful landlords.

They are planting trees both indigenous species and fruit orchards on their lands, while utilising water sustainably and maintaining soil fertility through local methods.

The move aims to get better yield and avert food insecurity, resist natural calamities. Abdul Aziz Bhurgari, a grower from Kot Ghulam Muhammad distributary, said after 40 years of experience in agriculture, he has learned that fruit orchards, indigenous trees, and livestock can save farmers families in any difficult situation. “Otherwise, agriculture in this era has become unsure in terms of water scarcity,” Bhurgari said. Talking about indigenous trees like babool (Acacia nilotica), Kandi (Prosopis cineraria), Lai (Tamarix dioica), Tahli (Dalbergia sissoo) and fruits orchards, he said conscious farmers consider these trees as natural ornaments of the croplands as they not only provide fodder for livestock but also help farmers in many ways during difficult times.

"That is why we take good care of these resources for our future generations to stay safe," the grower said.

Bhurgari, who owns 150 acres of land, said though the tree cover has declined almost all across the province, here farmers maintain plant species to get fodder for livestock and regain soil fertility. "We never cut these trees and see to it that no plants are harmed in any way,” he said. He maintains all trees including guava, mango, chiku, old banyan, babool, and Tahli in his field.

The farmer communities in the area have experienced the devastating rains and floods in 2011 and suffered huge losses. Some of them are still struggling to recover the losses they faced.

Bhurgari is also the vice chairman Area Water Board for Nara Canal, a network of farmer organisations (FOs) at each watercourse to assure judicial water distribution for agriculture. In this mechanism, farmers themselves are responsible to maintain water courses and distribution system.

Mirpurkhas is the most fertile zone, known especially for producing mango and other major fruits and crops. But this year farmers look helpless as they are expecting lower yields of crops this year.

The farmers network is also a part of five-year long water project “Securing water rights and use for farmers” in Mirpurkhas district being implemented by Laar Humanitarian and Development Programme (LHDP). The initiative aims to benefit farming communities through sustainable use and management of water resources for agriculture.

This initiative focuses on two distributaries, Kot Ghulam Muhammad and Potho minor, which have a total 31 watercourses. These two distributaries are located at the tail-end of the canal systems, having a relatively larger number of small growers among a diversified ethnic population.

These communities volunteered to help rehabilitate critically damaged distributaries and watercourses, construct disposal points, culverts, storage tanks, and wash facilities to ensure safe access and management of water during monsoon season.

Effects of climate change, vulnerability in terms of natural calamities and overall issues ranging from water scarcity, decreasing soil deficiency and degradation of natural resources compelled these people to join the move.

All key stakeholders including farmer organisations, members of area water board and water course associations along with representatives of agriculture department, line agencies, legislators, civil society organizations, and representatives of grower bodies work together for this cause.

Keeping their vulnerability in view, farmers have been engaged in trainings on disaster management planning to reduce the risks. Provision of fruit orchard plants to the farmers for plantation is the key component to get food for their children.

Bhurgari alleged that water distribution has been politicised. “Particularly speaking, upper riparian landlords violate the water laws. They illegally open direct outlets and use machines to lift water from the canals and distributaries to irrigate their lands,” he said.

Majeed Thahim, representing LHDP claims to have engaged farmer communities in learning about water rights through trainings and other action-based activities, educating them on other related legislations.

“At least 20 farmer field schools have been established in the area. Peasant men and women regularly attend these trainings to discuss different agriculture related issues and share experiences,” Thahim said. He added farmers are learning about adopting sustainable agriculture practices to survive and work together to resolve their problems local level.

Muhammad Bakhsh Rahimoo, a grower and a graduate of Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam, was optimistic about the initiative. But, Rahimoo, who has developed a demo-plot for wheat crop, complains against prolonged delay in the release of water. “This may damage per acre yield,” he feared.

The reports show that being dependent on two major irrigation water distributaries for agriculture in Mirpurkhas district they look disturbed as they have lost off-season crops like watermelons, melons, squashes, gourds, cucumbers, and others due to extended water scarcity. These food items are commonly grown in this area during January to March and provide a source of income to farmers and a large number of rural workers.

Area farmers as usual were expecting to receive water in January for these valuable short duration cover crops but they were disappointed when things didn’t work out. Both these distributaries start from Jamrao canal, (a part of main Nara Canal) on its west and east feeding some 31 watercourses for agriculture.

Another farmer Mustafa Kalro of village Moosa Kalro, who has grown a grove of babool (Acacia nilotica), Kandi (Prosopis cineraria), and a fruit orchard on his piece of land, said there was no water in this season for humans and livestock. “In this situation, nobody can even think about agriculture and producing a variety of crops,” Kalro said.

Anyway, the water scarcity has created a dismaying situation for farmers, who are advised not to prepare lands for next immediate crops, as main Nara Canal does not have water to feed its irrigation system, especially the areas at the tail-end. News pouring in from all three barrages from Guddu, Sukkur and Kotri show that there is 65 percent shortage of water. All 14 main canals of Sindh province start from these three barrages on the River Indus to feed this major economic sector.

This shortage may create uncertainty for the people depending on agriculture. Because remaining 35 percent water flowing into these 14 watercourses is not sufficient to feed all 44,000 watercourses of the province, which have to reach tail-end areas. But the irony is that 35 percent water flowing into canals is not enough for even quenching the thirsts of humans and animals.

The main reason farmers point out is politics on water. In their understanding politically-influenced landlords have taken around 100--200 direct outlets from each canal for their lands, depriving farmers and communities living at the end.

The communities, especially small-scale farmers and water rights campaigners in the area are working together to manage water system, but politically-motivated interventions have disrupted the move. Farmers are facing problems in continuing to practice agriculture for future generations.

In the given circumstances farmers fear that the sowing season of major crops like cotton, chilli, different vegetables, and grasses, which usually start in May 15, may be difficult for them to manage because of prolonged water scarcity.