Severe water shortage in Indus river threatens Sindh's crops

The irrigation department's water data reveals that the water level at Tarbela Dam is recorded at 1420.7 ft, with an inflow of 39,300 cusecs and an outflow of 20,000 cusecs at the reservoir, according to ARY News.

The Kabul River, a tributary of the Indus, contributes 31,600 cusecs of water to the river. At the Sukkur Barrage, the inflow is 24,860 cusecs, while the outflow stands at 6,630 cusecs, indicating a water shortage of 37 per cent, as noted in the ARY News report.

Meanwhile, the water inflow at the Kotri Barrage downstream of the river is 4,365 cusecs, with an outflow of only 190 cusecs. Here, the need for water is 6,800 cusecs, resulting in a shortage of 36 per cent at the Kotri Barrage, as highlighted by ARY News.

Overall, the three barrages in Sindh Guddu, Sukkur, and Kotri have a total of 35,655 cusecs, while the available water supply is only 27,799 cusecs, indicating a water scarcity of 22.03 per cent, according to the ARY News report.

The effects of the water shortage on canals are becoming evident, as the Rohri Canal is receiving 8,000 cusecs instead of 12,500 cusecs, and the Nara Canal is receiving 8,000 cusecs instead of 12,600 cusecs.

The Khairpur East and West canals are receiving 1,220 cusecs and 1,010 cusecs of water, respectively. Experts warn of an escalating water crisis for both agricultural crops and drinking water if the current situation persists, as reported by ARY News.

The legal community in Sindh plans to hold a peaceful sit-in at the Babarlo bypass, located between Sukkur and Khairpur, in protest against the development of six new canals on the Indus River, as reported by the Dawn.

In a press briefing conducted at the Karachi Bar Association (KBA) office on Wednesday, KBA officials urged all political parties and members of civil society to join them in their opposition to the initiative.