Sindh drought reaches to extreme as Indus' thirst rising

KARACHI: The water shortage has reached to its extreme level in Sindh as the water scarcity in Indus has reached to 59.1 percent, sources said.

Indus river, the life-giving water source, that turns Sindh’s barren and deserted lands green, have 79.1 percent scarcity at Guddu Barrage and 43.1 percent at Sukkur Barrage, irrigation sources said.

It is also being feared that such an extreme shortage could cause drinking water crisis in Sindh’s cities, especially Karachi, the mega city below the tail end of the river, for which water supply from Indus river is major source, which fulfill the needs of teeming millions in the megalopolis.

Sindh’s irrigation department has sent a protest letter to Indus River System Authority (IRSA) and expressed its grave concerns over an acute shortage of water in the province and demanded to release water to Sindh province so that shortages could be balanced during kharif season.

The Sindh Irrigation Department in its letter protested over severe water shortage in Sindh and non-implementation of 1991 river water apportionment accord.

Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro earlier said that Sindh province is facing severe water crisis due to unjust distribution of water shares by IRSA.

“IRSA is not distributing water among the provinces on the basis of equality during the shortages of water as per water accord of 1991.