HYDERABAD: Sindh Abadgar Ittehad (SAI) leaders have expressed their concern over worsening shortage of irrigation water in Sindh during the Kharif season and held both the federal and Sindh governments responsible for the situation.

They attributed the shortage to excessive withdrawal of water from dams by Wapda for electricity generation at a lower cost.

SAI president Nawab Zubair Talpur, general secretary Ali Palh, Mir Zafarullah Talpur and other leaders were speaking at a press conference in the local press club on Friday.

`Incorrect weather forecast was made to withdraw water from the Mangla and Tarbela dams with a motive to generate lowcost electricity. Since there was no rainfallas otherwise predicted, water shortage is being experienced now,` they said.

They noted that water was released from dams in December and January and reservoirs touched the dead level in March. The current shortage being experienced in Sindh should be blamed on Wapda and the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) which appeared incompetent in managing the af fair, they said.

`It`s Sindh that is suffering the most these days as early Kharif sowing has been badly affected here. Since cotton sowing is not taking place in the lower Sindh region, a huge shortfall in cotton production cannot be ruled out,` they said, and apprehended that at least 10 per cent sowing of cotton could be affected.

The SAI leaders said that even the last cycle of irrigation water could not be provided to wheat crop when it was in the grain-formation stage, thus the size of grain would be affected and this would hit the overall productivity.

They said that water flows for Sindh should not be stopped now because rainfall was reported in the upper reaches of the Indus River system.

They pointed out that water was simply not available in the tail-end of different canals. `Mismanagement of water is also another big problem in Sindh because the upper riparian, whose lands are fed by the Rohri and Nara canals, always have the first use of water and their counterparts in tailendface ashortage,they added.

The leaders criticised the role of Sindh`s member in Irsa who happens to be the authority`s current chairman and said it showed the Sindh government did not take interest in ensuring availability of water to growers of this province.They were of the view that even Sindh was involved in excessive withdrawals from its canals because water was flowing in nonperennial canals as well. Because of excessive withdrawals, freshwater found its ways into the sea through drains, they added.

Wheat procurement The SAI leaders said that transparency was not being observed in the distribution of gunny bags. Wheat procurement centres were opened belatedly which affected small growers while the whole process was hit by corruption. `Wheat procurement is being done for political considerations, which also involves payment of commission,` they claimed, adding that Rs20 per bag was being charged from farmers by food officials as `commission` to issue gunny bags to them.