Commissioner Sukkur orders immediate action to resolve irrigation water crisis

SUKKUR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Feb, 2026) Commissioner Sukkur, Abid Saleem Qureshi on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting at his office to address the pressing issues concerning the supply of irrigation water to agricultural lands in Taluka Saleh Pat, particularly affecting settlers of RD 115, 116, and RD 118 of the Nara Canal.

The meeting was attended by Additional Deputy Commissioner Sukkur Naheed Hussain Mirani, Assistant Commissioner Saleh Putt Majid Mako, officials from the Irrigation Department, SEPCO, the Agriculture Department, and representatives of the affected farmers.

During the session, farmers highlighted that SEPCO has extended power load shedding up to 14 hours on the RDs, severely impacting water supply to nearly 40% of agricultural land and affecting thousands of farmers. As a result, crops such as wheat and cotton have suffered, with wheat yields dropping to as low as 10 maunds per acre.

Officials from the Irrigation Department clarified that they are not at fault, as they regularly pay 100% of electricity bills to SEPCO for operating the RDs.

SEPCO representatives cited non-billing from rural and urban areas as the reason for load shedding. However, Commissioner Qureshi questioned this justification, emphasizing that separate electricity mechanisms exist for agricultural and human populations, and since the Irrigation Department fulfills its financial obligations, load shedding on RDs is unjustified.

The Commissioner directed SEPCO to take immediate and concrete steps to either eliminate or significantly reduce load shedding on the RDs. He also instructed the Agriculture Department to conduct a detailed survey of the affected areas and submit a comprehensive report, including data on affected land and number of farmers, to enable recommendations for further action to higher authorities.

Assistant Commissioner and Agriculture Department officials acknowledged the legitimacy of the farmers' grievances and stressed the need for urgent solutions to protect the region’s agricultural output.