As the Foreign Office sought clarification from India via a letter over a sudden variation in the Chenab River’s flow, the situation is badly affecting wheat and other crops being fed through the Marala-Ravi link and other canals in various parts of Punjab.
“The situation is really disturbing as the Chenab River’s control from upstream (India) is being handled by the Indian authorities through various run-of-the-river hydropower projects,” a senior official of the Punjab Irrigation Department said while speaking to Dawn on condition of anonymity.
“When India releases the water from dams towards downstream (Pakistan) without informing us, the flow suddenly increases. Sometimes, they hold water for days, reducing flow massively,” he said.
He continued, “Once the river inflows recorded at Marala reduced to 1,500 cusecs, leaving us with no option but to stop outflows.”
“The situation is very serious and strange for us, as the growers, in several villages, couldn’t water wheat crops due to the lack of water flow they used to receive through various canals.”
According to daily reports of Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda), the situation related to inflows and outflows at Marala headworks was found to be alarming from December 9-18.
The inflows and outflows at Marala were monitored on the said dates with 10,100 and 3,800 cusecs on December 9, respectively, 6,900 and 1,500 cusecs on December 10.
No outflows were monitored from Dec. 11-17, with 3,700 cusecs of inflows on Dec. 11, 3,800 on Dec. 12, 3,000 on Dec. 13, 2,000 on Dec. 14, 2,000 on Dec. 15, 1,800 on Dec. 16 and 3,800 on Dec. 17.
Ameer Langra, a local grower of Mauza Sahib Langra from Baqir Pur Union Council, Kabirwala, Khanewal, told Dawn, they face difficulty irrigating the wheat crop and have to purchase water from tube well owners when there is no water in designated channels.
“Sometimes, we see a sudden rise in water courses, while other times the respective canals and water courses don’t receive a single drop of water,” he said, adding that a large number of growers weren’t able to water their crops fully.
“It is affecting the main and other crops as well.”
Langra told Dawn that his area was already facing water scarcity due to the closure of a large number of tube wells after the recent floods swept them away.
“We appeal to the government to help us and ensure water availability to save our farming.”
Pakistan Kissan Ittehad President Khalid Khokar, while speaking to Dawn, condemned the Indian government for water aggression and termed it a serious violation of the Indus Water Treaty.
“Many cultivators have complained about variations in water levels in the river and its impact on the agricultural activities,” he said, requesting the government to take up the issue with India and international forums.
