STAFF REPORT KHI: The agriculture sector of the country will face an overall 20 per cent water shortage from April to June this year increasing the chances affecting the major Kharif crops like rice and cotton, an official in the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) has said.
Similarly, experts in Sindh Agriculture Forum (SAF), predict that major crops including wheat, cotton, rice and maize especially in Sindh and Punjab will face more than 10 per cent water shortage for irrigation from April to September this year during the Kharif season.
They said that Punjab will get around 31.65-million-acre-feet water during this period while Sindh farmers will get about 28.85-million-acre-feet water.
“Due to low water level in dams, it is not possible to release more water during April to September 2012 for irrigation purposes,” the IRSA official said.
Total availability of water for irrigation purpose will stand at around 63.90-million-acre-feet out of which water share of Balochistan will be around 2.55-million-acre-feet and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa about 850,000-acre-feet-water.
The sowing of major crops including cotton crop in Sindh and Punjab is expected on 8.5-million-acre-land and rice is expected to be cultivated on 6-million-acre-land, he added.

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