SHC orders irrigation dept to address complaints in 30 days

Court directs dept to ensure water supply in around 165 petitions

HYDERABAD: Disposing of around 165 petitions from up to a decade ago, the Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered on Thursday the provincial irrigation department to hear and address the farmers' complaints within 30 days of filing.

The bench, comprising Justice Nadeem Akhtar and Justice Adnan-ul-Karim Memon directed the Sindh irrigation department "to ensure regular supply of water to the lands of the petitioners and [all] landowners in the province.

‘Work on Jalalpur Irrigation Canal in progress’ 

The petitions, from Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Nawabshah divisions, pertained to water theft by head-end farmers in connivance with irrigation officials, bribery for release of water, unlawful closure of water supply and other similar issues.

Many of the petitioners prayed for action against the officials whose alleged corruption created irrigation water shortage and caused huge financial losses to the farmers. The lawyers pleaded that the farmers are denied their due share of water.

However, the court did not give an adverse decision against the officials. The pivotal issue is equitable distribution of irrigation water by the irrigation department, observed the bench, reminding the officials that preventing the theft is also their responsibility.

Rs3.24b allocated for 11 schemes

With regard to the direct outlets from the canals which are given to the politically influential landowners, the SHC recalled the 2014 order of the apex court to reiterate that such outlets are illegal.

The court also barred the SHC's registrar from admitting petitions of farmers who have not exhausted the option of filing complaints with the irrigation department, saying that they had to first avail the remedy provided by the department before approaching the court.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 10^th, 2020.