Centre asked to ensure Water supply

From Zeeshan Mirza

KARACHI: Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro Thursday asked Islamabad to ensure uninterrupted water supply to the province, urging that there should be no water shortage for crop production.
The minister, when commenting on the issue, said there is a difference with the federation regarding water scarcity in Sindh.
“The Nara and Rohri canals are getting 7,200 cusecs of water, while there is up to 70% shortage of water in other canals,” he said.
Shoro added that the government is ensuring the supply of crops and drinking water under the rotation programme.
He said the government is making a separate scheme to drain rainwater from the Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD), Dhoro Puran Outfall Drain (DPOD) and Hakro drain
“Under the scheme, a big gate will be installed at RD 210,” he said, adding that a report has been sought from the concerned deputy commissioners of the aforementioned drains.
He directed DC Mirpurkhas to work on removing encroachments from Dhoro and Puran drains.
A day earlier, the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) asked Indus River System Authority (IRSA) to release water from the Tarbela Dam beyond the storage level of 1,420 feet mark.
However, the initiative is likely to jeopardise the sowing of two main Kharif crops, cotton and rice, in Sindh,