Balochistan Denied Its Water Share as Agricultural Economy Nears Collapse, Warns Mir Muhammad Amin Umrani
NASEERABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and former provincial minister Mir Muhammad Amin Umrani has warned that Balochistan’s agricultural economy is on the verge of collapse due to an acute water shortage affecting areas irrigated by the Pat Feeder and Kirthar canals. He cautioned that farmers would have no option but to stage protests and sit-ins if the province is not immediately provided its full share of water.
In a statement, Umrani said that although water releases began later than usual this year, supplies reached the region in early June. However, the entire month was largely reserved for drinking water requirements, and even then, water failed to reach the tail-end areas of several distributary channels, preventing the replenishment of water reservoirs and ponds.
He stated that conditions have not improved despite the commencement of the irrigation rotation schedule, alleging that canal branches are not receiving their allocated water supplies on time. While irrigation management officials maintain that Balochistan is receiving its full water share from the Guddu Barrage, he claimed that the situation on the ground tells a different story.
According to Umrani, distributaries including Umrani Branch, Teepal Branch, Qaidi Branch, Balan Branch, and Magsi Branch have failed to receive adequate water even after five days. In some cases, he said, water has not progressed beyond the initial sections of the channels, leaving thousands of acres of standing crops severely affected.
He criticized what he described as repeated assurances from the authorities, saying that farmers can no longer tolerate the prevailing situation. If the crisis continues, he warned, growers will once again take to the streets as they have in previous years, and future protests will continue until their demands are met.
Appealing to Balochistan’s Provincial Minister for Irrigation, Mir Muhammad Sadiq Umrani, he claimed that Guddu Barrage currently holds approximately 163,800 cusecs of water, of which Balochistan’s share exceeds 19,000 cusecs. Despite this, he alleged that the Pat Feeder Canal is not even receiving its allocated 6,700 cusecs.
Similarly, he said Sukkur Barrage currently contains around 96,000 cusecs of water, while Balochistan’s share through the Kirthar Canal amounts to approximately 11,000 cusecs. He alleged that nearly 2,400 cusecs of water due to the province has not been released.
Questioning official explanations regarding water shortages originating upstream, Umrani asked how Guddu and Sukkur barrages continue to hold substantial quantities of water if supplies from Punjab remain constrained. He further alleged that while additional water is being provided to canals in Sindh, Balochistan’s two major irrigation canals are being deprived of their constitutionally allocated shares.
He said the combination of soaring temperatures reaching 52 degrees Celsius and inadequate water supplies is devastating crops and creating severe hardships for residents struggling to obtain drinking water.
Umrani pointed out that the Pakistan Peoples Party is in government in both Sindh and Balochistan and argued that citizens should not be compelled to resort to protests to secure their basic rights.
He appealed to President Asif Ali Zardari, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and Faryal Talpur to ensure the immediate provision of Balochistan’s full water share to prevent further damage to the province’s agricultural economy and alleviate the hardships faced by farmers.
