Water Shortage: Sindh likely to face water shortage before monsoon

SUKKUR:

Farmers in Sindh might face acute shortage of water for sowing the summer crop in April and May.

In upper Sindh, Guddu Barrage faces a shortfall of 31 per cent water. Down the river, Sukkur Barrage faces a shortage of 54 and Kotri, 63 per cent water. To make matters worse no water is released down the stream from Kotri.

If the weather doesn’t change - the temperature in Skardu does not rise and it doesn’t rain in the catchment areas then situation might grow worse especially in Sindh.

With the water levels dropping in Tarbela and Mangla already to alarmingly low levels, in lower Sindh, two canals emerging from Sukkur Barrage are being shut down. Dadu and Kirthar canals will be closed from April 1, affecting Kharif sowing.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2012.