By Akhlaque Ahmed Chandio
KAMBER-SHAHDADKOT: A severe shortage of irrigation water in Kamber-Shahdadkot district has pushed farmers and growers into a deep crisis, threatening their livelihoods and the region’s agricultural economy.
Farmers said the absence of water in canals and distributaries had turned vast areas of agricultural land barren, while newly sown seeds and rice nurseries were drying up in areas where only limited water had reached. They complained that the concerned authorities had yet to take effective measures to address the worsening situation.
According to reports, more than 50 distributaries and hundreds of small and large water channels across the district had not received adequate irrigation supplies, putting hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland at risk.
The economy of Kamber-Shahdadkot largely depends on rice cultivation, but the ongoing water shortage has severely affected sowing activities. In several areas, prepared rice nurseries have started withering, while many farmers have been forced to delay cultivation, raising fears of a significant decline in agricultural production and financial losses amounting to millions of rupees.
Farmers and landowners said the prolonged water crisis had increased their financial difficulties and pushed many of them further into debt. They warned that if an immediate and fair supply of irrigation water was not ensured, the rice crop could be severely damaged and the district’s agricultural economy could face long-term consequences.
They said the weak irrigation system and unequal distribution of water in an agriculture-dependent district like Kamber-Shahdadkot continued to create similar crises every year, making a permanent solution an urgent requirement.
The affected farmers appealed to the Sindh government, the Irrigation Department and relevant authorities to immediately release water to all canals and distributaries, ensure equitable distribution, declare an agricultural emergency and take urgent steps to protect farmers from economic hardship.
They also called for measures to safeguard the rice crop and protect the livelihoods of thousands of farming families dependent on agriculture.
KamberShahdadkot #Sindh #WaterCrisis #WaterShortage #RiceCrop #Agriculture #Farmers #Irrigation #FoodSecurity #ClimateChallenges #RuralEconomy #CropLoss #AgriculturalCrisis #SindhAgriculture #PakistanAgriculture #WaterManagement #CurrentAffairs #PakistanNews #MetroMorning #LocalNews
