Failure to fix: Rohri canal crisis to affect drinking, irrigation water supply in 5 districts

Collapse of regulator walls reduces discharge of water to Rohri canal by 70%.

SUKKUR: Rohri canal is receiving 70% less water than usual which is likely to harm at least 29 crops, including cotton and sugarcane, and affect drinking water supply to five districts of upper Sindh.

The slow discharge from Rohri canal began on Tuesday morning, following the collapse of some portion of the right and left flank walls of Phull Fall Regulator, situated on Naushero-Phull Link Road, a day earlier.

When water started flowing out of the canal, the villagers rushed to plug the breaches themselves. They alerted the irrigation authorities but failed to get any response. By Tuesday morning, water discharge to Rohri canal was reduced from 14,000 cusecs to 4,000 cusecs to avoid further damage.

Rohri canal is one of the seven off-taking canals of Sukkur Barrage, which originates from barrage's left pocket and passes through Khairpur, Naushero Feroz, Shaheed Benazirabad and Hyderabad, and ends in Sanghar. It is believed to be the largest canal of Sukkur Barrage.

The flank walls had developed cracks two years ago and, despite indications by the villagers, no action was taken, claimed a Naushero-Feroz based journalist. The regulator itself has also developed cracks and strong current of water can prove to be the last straw on the camel's back, he warned. An irrigation official, who requested anonymity, also corroborated his claim that the piers of Phull regulator have also developed cracks.

According to him, 29 of Sindh's agriculture crops depend on the water from Rohri canal. Kharif crops, such as cotton and sugarcane, have already been sown in some areas and the growers need water to save their crops. This is not all, he said, adding that most people get drinking water from this canal. In case the canal is closed for a certain period, people will be left without drinking water in this heat.

Gone to the dogs

The irrigation department's failure to act immediately and fix the fault is earning a lot of criticism. "The irrigation department has literally gone to the dogs," claimed Sindh Abadgar Board president Abdul Majeed Nizamani.

Rohri canal is one of the biggest canals in Asia and it irrigates around 2.9 million acres and 23% of the agriculture sector gets water through it, he pointed out. Unavailability of water in the canal will play havoc with the agriculture sectors, especially cotton, sugarcane, mangoes and vegetables, he said.



Cracks in the piers of flank walls of the Phull regulator have not developed overnight, rather it is the result of years of criminal negligence, he claimed. Nizamani felt that mere condemnations are not enough. This situation demands drastic action against the responsible irrigation officials, he said.

Giving the example of Imam regulator situated 40 kilometres from Hyderabad, Nizamani said that its gates have been broken for a long time but have yet to be repaired. Almost all government departments have been ruined and now it seems that they want to paralyse the irrigation system, he said.

On the repair of Phull regulator, he said that it will take more than 15 days or more. During that period, there will be no water discharge in the canal, which will cause damage to the Kharif crops, he reiterated. Every year, water supply to all the canals is discontinued for annual closure with the aim of repair and maintenance, he said, adding that it seems that all the funds are pocketed and the structures are left at the mercy of nature.

Committee formed

A retired irrigation department chief engineer, Noor Mohammad Baloch, who is also a water expert, admitted that this is a very serious issue and should be taken care of immediately before it is too late. A committee has been formed to probe the matter, he said, adding that it would be premature to hold anyone responsible at this time. It may be noted that Rohri canal's former chief engineer Ahmed Junaid Memon was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau on charges of misappropriating funds to the tune of billions of rupees. Memon has been given bail by the high court.

However, Sukkur Barrage chief engineer Wali Mohammad Naich had switched off his phone while Rohri canal superintendent engineer Haji Khan Jamali was also unavailable for comments.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2016.