Crops, communities suffer severe water shortage

A severe shortage of irrigation and drinking water is devastating various areas of Taluka Jhaddo in District Tharparkar, leaving crops on thousands of acres to wither and communities struggling for basic needs.

Towns such as Naukot, Roshanabad, Akota, Shaak Fazal Bhambro, and Nafees Nagar, along with neighboring villages, are facing an acute water crisis. Farmers are forced to rely on saline water for their livestock, while residents endure a lack of clean drinking water, heightening health concerns.

Local farmers, including Chaudhry Muhammad, Ayub Rajput, Azeem Chandio, Muhammad Usman Halo, and Chaudhry Abdul Qadir, expressed frustration over what they describe as chronic incompetence and corruption among officials. They claim that thousands of acres of crops are destroyed annually due to mismanagement, causing millions of rupees in losses. Despite these repeated issues, they lament that no one is held accountable.

Residents report that some villages have been without drinking water for over a month, forcing people to consume saline groundwater. This has led to widespread health issues, including gastrointestinal diseases and skin problems.

Farmers and residents appealed to the Chief Minister of Sindh and the Provincial Minister for Irrigation to address the crisis. They urged authorities to restore the supply of canal water and take action to resolve the alleged mismanagement of water distribution.

Protests in Kotri

Meanwhile, in Kotri, residents of Jamshoro and surrounding areas staged protests over the worsening water shortage. Demonstrators gathered outside the Deputy Commissioner's office and later blocked the Kotri flyover, disrupting traffic.

Protesters, including Abbas Chandio, Talib Khoso, and Shahbaz Memon, criticized the Municipal Committee of Bholari and other local administrative bodies for their failure to provide water. They accused the tanker mafia of exploiting the crisis by inflating water prices and claimed that the administration, including the Deputy Commissioner of Jamshoro, has failed to regulate this exploitation.

The protesters highlighted that key institutions, such as the University of Sindh, Liaquat Medical University, Mehran University, Shaheed Allah Bakhsh University, and the Kotri Industrial Zone, are among the areas facing severe water shortages.

In response, Atta Muhammad, Executive Engineer of the BE Feeders, assured the public that water would be released into the canal by tomorrow.

The ongoing water crisis has left both rural and urban communities in distress, with urgent action required to ensure equitable and timely water distribution.