Parched Sindh
SINDH comprises 18 per cent of Pakistan’s land mass and 16pc of its total cultivable area.
While the agricultural sector is the lynchpin of the provincial economy, Sindh also contributes about 23pc to the country’s national agricultural value added: 41pc to the national output of rice, 31pc to sugarcane and 21pc to wheat. The rural communities and urban markets rely heavily on the performance of this integral sector.
Although over half of Sindh’s population resides in urban areas, with the largest industrial base in Karachi, acute water shortage has blighted its municipal operations. Life and economy will become unsustainable without a robust strategic plan. A multisectoral water policy was approved last year and, at present, the province is developing a water plan. The latter will guide the application of the policy.
Sindh’s waterscape faces a host of challenges: from the perennial issue of a reduced provincial water share from upper riparian regions to political and operational mismanagement, including water theft, unofficial diversions, direct outlets from main canals, tampering with outlets, poorly maintained watercourses and regulators, clogged waterways, contamination caused by untreated effluent from industries, and unregulated groundwater mining. The dwindling water supply and diminishing soil productivity demands that the government reconsider Sindh’s cropping pattern.
Between 2002 and 2021, there has been a significant increase in the cultivation of three water-intensive crops: rice cultivation rose by 55pc in acreage, from 488,000 hectares to 756,000 hectares; cotton by 9.5pc, from 542,000 acres to 594,000 acres; and sugarcane by 14.3pc, from 258,000 acres to 295,000 acres.
Over the last decade, sugarcane and rice farming expanded by 30pc; meanwhile, cotton guzzles 10,000 to 20,000 litres of water per kilogramme. Similarly, rice consumes 1,500 to 3,000 litres per kg and sugarcane requires 1,500 to 2,500 litres. Such reckless water consumption will deplete the shrinking domestic water resource faster.
Sindh’s potential to enhance agriculture productivity is untapped.
Sindh’s potential to enhance agriculture productivity is untapped. According to research by Dr Waheed Bhutto, published in South Asia Journal, the average wheat yield was 50 maund per acre in 2020, while the yield in Rajasthan was some 65 maund in the same period. Sindh’s average rice yield per acre in 2019 was 30 maund, while Rajasthan produced 40 maund. The difference indicates potentially devastating water inefficiency created by the rampant neglect of channels and obsolete farming practices. Substandard seeds and agricultural implements also contribute to the shortage.
Moreover, salinity, waterlogging and conveyance losses have slashed soil output in Sindh. Hardly a third of water diverted from the central canal is put to proper use, the remaining resource either percolates or evaporates due to taxing climate conditions. About 20 to 25pc of irrigation water goes to waste because of uneven fields, its excess raises the water table and accumulates salt in the soil.
Both waterlogging and salinity have damaged half of the irrigated land. In fact, salinity, particularly in Sindh’s lower districts, is beyond alarming levels. Hence, some estimates show the loss of crop production hitting 40 to 60pc. Wapda’s Salinity Control and Reclamation Projects and prime effluent drains, such as the LBOD and RBOD, have failed to provide any relief. The process and pace of land degradation continues unabated.
Sindh has to be prudent in water application. It also needs to use modern technology to create favourable conditions for additional cropping, such as contemporary HEIS with drip and sprinkler irrigation methods. The drip irrigation system can save up to 50pc of water in certain instances as well as bring about extraordinary improvement in the crop yield.
In addition, all local stakeholders should collaborate to develop comprehensive flood plans, as ineffective water management not only harms the soil, it also destroys the prospects of socioeconomic progress. Blocked flow paths jeopardise every aspect of growth as they obstruct the natural drainage of alluvial and pluvial floods. The situation is further complicated by Sindh’s flat topography.
A study by the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority in 2012 identified the network of choked channels and recommended solutions, such as cleared floodplains, to avert climate catastrophes as witnessed in 2022. In short, Sindh’s climate resilient and expansive water plan has to break away from old practices for a climate shock proof and prosperous province.
The writer is a civil society professional.
Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2025