Cotton sowing behind schedule as South Punjab faces acutewater shortage

LAHORE: Punjab is facing extreme canal water shortage of up to 79 percent over planned quota, while the newly installed provincial government seems least bothered about the situation, claimed farmer representatives.

Cotton sowing in many areas in South Punjab is three to four weeks behind schedule due to abnormal drop in canal water.

Despite improvement in Indus and Kabul Rivers, water is not being supplied to South Punjab canals, further exacerbating scarcity of water in the parched fields, said Farooq Bajwa, Founding Convenor, Punjab Water Council here Friday.

“Amid the hottest summer ever, we are made to bear the brunt of drought situation in the absence of much-needed canal supplies,” he said, and added that “our hardships multiply when we see deafening silence at the helm of affairs over one of the most burning issues of Punjab outback, comprising Bahawalpur Division along Cholistan Desert. Are we not equal citizens of the province or country?”

The farmers of Punjab, especially those living in the south, comprising core cotton growing area, feel alienated when it comes to water availability for drinking as well as irrigation purposes. Currently, from Chairman, Indus River System Authority (IRSA) to Federal Minister for Water Resources, regulations of river supplies are being governed and managed by persons belonging to Sindh.

At provincial level, with PML-N government focusing mostly on urban areas, rural population was being given a miss in meeting their pressing needs, Bajwa lamented.

Canals in Punjab were facing extreme shortfall. Taunsa canals (DGK and MZG) were getting 3,000 cusecs against 12,000 cusecs demand, showing 75 percent shortfall. Similarly, Panjnad was also getting 3,000 cusecs against 14,000

cusecs demands, registering 79 percent shortfall.

Trimmu canal was getting 8,700 cusecs against the demand of 17,000 cusecs, showing 49 percent shortfall. Bahawal canal shortfall was 78 percent as it was receiving just 1,100 cusecs against 5,052 cusecs.

Bilal Israel, Director Farmers Associates of Pakistan (FAP), hailing from Rahim Yar Khan, was of the view that cotton sowing in Rahim Yar Khan, prime silver lint producing area of the country was braving the driest conditions on record due to extremely low canal supplies.

He said there was zero flow of river diversions from Indus Zone to South Punjab as Taunsa-Punjnad Link Canal (TP Link) and Chashma-Jhelum Link (CJ Link) were still closed.

He regretted that Punjab's growers were toiling in the broiling sun amid extreme canal water shortage and were unable to meet irrigation requirements at crucial sowing and early plantation stage.

No one at water regulation stage was bothered about their problems. As South Punjab reels under severe heat-wave conditions, water shortage becomes unbearable.

Low flows have exacerbated the situation to unbearable levels, he observed. Despite of having surplus water available in Indus and Kabul Rivers, Punjab Indents were not being met, he claimed.