HYDERABAD: Sindh Chamber of Commerce (SCA) has expressed fear that the water level in the Indus river at Kotri Barrage would drop to around 1,000 cusecs in the coming days, creating a severe water shortage in many parts of Sindh.
The SCA’s office bearers and members held a meeting here Sunday at the Chamber’s office which was attended by representatives of the farmers’ community from Karachi, Sanghar, Sukkur, Ghotki and other districts through the video link.
“The water level at Kotri barrage will drop to just 1,000 cusecs around next week which will be the lowest after year 2005,” said Dr Syed Nadeem Qamar, the SCA’s president who chaired the meeting. He worried that the situation would create not only a severe shortage for irrigation water but the supply of drinking water to many cities would also be affected.
Dr Qamar requested the government to inform the people on daily basis about the water level in Indus River and also to advise them to avoid wastage and unnecessary use of water.
The SCA’s president also advised the farmers to keep in view the said shortage while cultivating different crops.
The meeting also expressed concern over the wheat procurement process and requested the Sindh government to supply gunny bags and ensure implementation over Rs. 1,300 per 40 kilogram official wheat buying rate.
The farmers complained at the meeting that although the provincial government had opened the wheat procurement centers but the gunny bags were not being supplied in adequate numbers.
The SCA suggested the provincial government to constitute local committees comprising the government officials and representatives of the farmers to ensure fair distribution of the gunny bags.
Mir Imdad Ali Talpur, Syed Aijaz Nabi Shah, Zahid Hussain Bhurgari, Mir Abdul Karim Talpur, Mohammad Khan Sarejo, Agha Khadim Hussain Shah, Haji Nisar Memon Ghulam Mujtaba Unar and other farmers attended the meeting.
