By Kamran Khamiso Khowaja
The southern district of Sujawal is located on the coast of the Arabian Sea. Yet, its citizens are thirsty and struggle to get sufficient water to fulfil their daily needs. The acute water shortage in this region has ravaged the coastal communities, leaving a trail of despair in its wake.
What was once a thriving coastal district involved in fishing and farming has been battling acute water shortage for themselves and their farms for the past two years.
Located on the right bank of the Indus River, the Sher Khana water channel feeds the district. It serves as a lifeline for over 100 villages in the semi-desert district. However, construction on the channels remains incomplete due to the contractor's alleged lax attitude and poor construction work. The consequences have been dire for a region suffering one of its hottest years on record: crops have withered, livestock have perished, and villagers have been forced to migrate to urban areas in search of water and sustenance.
Wali Muhammad Temro, a farmer in Sujawal, lamented the lack of water for his crops. "We haven't received sufficient water to irrigate our lands for two years. Our agricultural land has become barren, and we are struggling to survive," he said.
Pir Bux Dandal, a cattle owner who had lost a few cattle heads due to thirst and heat, said he had been forced to relocate from his ancestral land.
"The water scarcity [in our region] has made it impossible for us to sustain our livelihoods," he lamented.
Recently, local farmers and growers blocked the main Jati-Ladiyon road to stage a protest. They demanded that the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) - the authority responsible for managing the distribution of water from the Indus River between the four provinces - and the provincial government prevent water theft and ensure timely supply of the essential commodity to the tail-end areas. Growers like Misri Hingoro and Juman Malha accused influential landlords of pilfering irrigation water, further complicating the crisis.
Social analyst Haji Zahid Ishaque Sommro suggested that the drought has lasted for nearly a decade at this point, adding that water scarcity in the district has worsened due to the slow progress on completing lining in the Sher Khana water channel. "The situation has intensified over the past two years, and the inaction of authorities has exacerbated the problem."
As water scarcity worsens in the district, residents of Sujawal's coastal communities have appealed to the authorities to take immediate action. Will their cries be heard, or will the region continue to suffer the devastating consequences of water scarcity? Only time will tell.