Water war brews over 56km pipeline to Pithoro

HYDERABAD:

Thousands of farmers took to the streets in Naukot on Sunday against a proposed 56-kilometre pipeline from Mithrao Canal to Pithoro, fearing the scheme could further squeeze water supplies to tail-end areas already struggling with chronic shortages.

Led by Nadir Ali Laghari, Arbab Zafarullah and others, the protesters marched for around five kilometres through Naukot before gathering outside the local press club, where they chanted slogans against irrigation authorities and the provincial government.

The farmers alleged that the project would effectively create a new distributary from a canal that itself receives water from the Nara Canal and remains short of supplies for much of the year. "In the name of the pipeline, a new distributary is practically being carved out from a waterway which faces water shortfall for most parts of a year," Laghari said. He claimed the project's PC-I envisaged supplying Pithoro not only with drinking water but also for agricultural and industrial purposes.

The protesters feared that diverting water to Pithoro would worsen shortages in at least nine other towns, including Samaro, Kunri, Jhudo, Kaloi, Diplo, Mithi, Islamkot and Nangarparkar.

They said the affected areas already received canal water under strict rotational schedules, and warned that any further reduction could hit drinking water supplies as well as agriculture and livestock.