QUETTA: A severe irrigation crisis has gripped Balochistan’s agricultural belt, triggering widespread protests by thousands of farmers and landowners as the provincial government stepped up efforts to secure the province’s constitutional share of water from Sindh.
With canals running critically low during the peak sowing season, farmers warned they would expand their protest and block major highways if water supplies were not restored immediately.
The crisis has affected the districts of Nasirabad, Jaffarabad, Sohbatpur, and Usta Muhammad, where farmers accuse Sindh of withholding and diverting Balochistan’s allocated water from the Pat Feeder and Kirthar canals. The worsening shortage has left hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland at risk, raising fears of massive crop losses worth billions of rupees.
Thousands of farmers from Usta Muhammad travelled to Sukkur and staged a sit-in near Sukkur Barrage, demanding the immediate release of irrigation water. A delegation led by Balochistan Irrigation Minister Mir Muhammad Sadiq Umrani, Communications Minister Mir Saleem Ahmed Khosa, Parliamentary Secretary Haji Muhammad Khan Lehri, and Irrigation Secretary Suhail Rehman Baloch held talks with protesters and Sindh irrigation authorities.
Although negotiations with the protesters remained inconclusive, Sindh officials assured the government delegation that Balochistan’s allocated share of water would be restored within the next 24 to 48 hours in accordance with IRSA regulations.
Minister Umrani said ensuring irrigation water during the crucial cultivation period was the provincial government’s top priority, stressing that even in times of overall water scarcity, Sindh was constitutionally and legally bound to provide Balochistan with its full share under IRSA regulations.
