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Balochistan drought: quick official action awaited
Sikander Brohi
Balochistan, the largest province, covers about 44 per cent land of Pakistan. It is characterized as arid and semi-arid with a wide range of inter-related desert ecosystems that vary from one another , mainly as a function of precipitation, temperature, and altitude.
Generally, the economic and human conditions there present a dismal picture of under-development due to the limited socio-economic opportunities, lack of education, poor infrastructure (particularly road networks), limited cultivable land, scarcity of water and irrigation schemes, limited access to health services and the lack of industry.
Water availability being the major irritant, several systems have been evolved for capturing water for agricultural use. A traditional strategy is the construction of elaborate underground channel systems (karez) that taps the direct sub-surface groundwater to the areas of cultivation. The 'sailaba' are lands irrigated by the seasonal floodwater and the ephemeral streams. The 'khushkaba' land depends upon direct rainfall or localized run-off from a very small catchment area.
Due to below normal rainfall during the past few years, many parts could not receive enough rains to recharge the water sources and improve the pastureland. It exacerbated harsh conditions for the humans and the livestock alike, placing strain on the fragile and scarce water resources and vegetation.
Impact of continuous drought: In fact the drought situation has inflicted heavy losses to the province's water resources, the agriculture, the livestock, the rural environment, and the ecosystem as well as the socio-economic fabric of the rural society. For example, the abrupt decline in rainfall in most of the upland has caused a complete drying off of the surface drinking water resources, and has decreased the water output from spring and tubewells. This has caused the watertable to drop in most of the valleys. Consequently, the otherwise green valleys have been converted into arid zones.
According to the last year's Drought Update of Resident Coordinator of the "United Nations System's Operational Activities for Development in Pakistan", Balochistan emerged as the worst affected region of the country due to the drought. It was adversely affected by the drought of 2000 and low rains in 2001 significantly worsened the situation. The province received almost 50 per cent of the normal rains in summer, while winter rains turned out to be only 37 per cent.
According to provincial authorities, 1.911 million people and 9.31 million livestock were affected. Around 1.76 million livestock were perished. A total of 1.973 million acres of cultivable land was affected by the drought. According to the Special Report of the FAO, the WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission to Pakistan, released on July 11, 2001, 'as a result of the prolonged drought, heavy livestock losses were reported in Balochistan. Livestock is the major livelihood, and about 70 per cent of the households own it. Out of the 55 million livestock heads of the country about 23 million or nearly 42 per cent belong to Balochistan. It was estimated that the drought had affected about 40 per cent.
According to the same report, agriculture sector also sustained losses due to the drought situation. Last year the crop, and the livestock production both left strain on the livelihood and the food security of a large number of people. The rain-fed wheat almost failed, while the yield of the irrigated wheat was also reduced, and affecting the fruit farms alike. A large number of trees were dried up or were rendered unproductive. With low ground water levels, the recovery and continuation of fruit farms seemed impossible.
In northern Balochistan, about 60 per cent of the fruit trees have dried and the remaining are unlikely to survive due to the receding water table. In the uplands of Loralai, Killi Saifulla and Pishin around 60-100 per cent of the fruit trees have dried up. It is estimated that the production of apple which is one of the main fruits has reduced by at least 50 per cent. Besides, the agro-economic and biodiversity losses, the drought had also created social and health problems, including mental and physical stress, reduction in nutrition, increase in respiratory ailments, increased social as well as management conflicts. Similarly, more impacts are seen in the form of reduced quality of life, changes in the lifestyle in rural areas, increased poverty as well as migration, etc. The worst affected are the women and the children.
Current situation and future apprehensions: Unfortunately, due to insufficient rains this year, Kharif crops have started showing heavy losses. This writer visited Balochistan's countryside area in Moola sub-tahseel of district Khuzdar, a vast rural hilly area with big mountain tracks. The area is spread from Zahri to Kachhi tahseel bordering with Sindh. The majority of population is dependent on the agriculture and livestock. Being under the Sardari system, this area is among the poorest and the most illiterates. Various small and big valleys are major source of agriculture and livestock grazing.
Many agriculture crops are grown in Moola and other areas of Balochistan during Kharif season. Those crops include paddy, cotton, pulses, vegetables, and fruits. On account of no rainfall, the growers are worried not only of the failure of all Kharif crops but see little, or no possibility of harvesting the coming Rabi crops, especially the wheat. The growers had sown paddy seed with the hope of the availability of irrigation water. However, the seedlings of paddy have gone dry with no hope of growing the crop. Had there been water, the cotton crop would have reached ball-formation. But, the cotton crop and the pulses too, have dried up, said a grower and the counsellor of the area. Vegetables destroyed due to the lack of water include brinjal, chilies, ladyfinger and many more. Similarly, in some areas, time is ripe for millet cultivation, but with no water available, the growers are refraining from cultivating it.
The provincial government has declared almost all districts as 'calamity hit' with the exception of urban parts of some districts. The growers and their representatives are demanding quick and sustainable action, especially with regard to the installation and the rehabilitation of water facilities, the improvement in rangelands, the extension of veterinary facilities, the production of stock feed, the distribution of crop seed and soft loans to farmers. Similarly, as the lack of water has converted large tracks of land into wasteland, it needs fresh levelling of land. Already faced with the poverty, it is impossible for the growers to privately level the land in hilly areas. There is a need of heavy machinery, especially the bulldozers, which government can only provide them with.
Meanwhile, according to independent experts, the government and other national and international development institutions should take the following actions to minimize the negative impact of the drought in Balochistan:
*The karez and existing gravity flow systems should be rehabilitated, and the windmills installed for drawing the water from tubewells. The government needs to install and promote these windmill pumps.
*Proper water resource management, and the policies for livestock and rangeland management should be developed.
*New water supply schemes, preferably non-motorized, in the drought affected areas should be installed, with motorized schemes in selected areas where simpler schemes are not possible.
*Focus should be placed on appropriate and affordable technologies in all new interventions in water and sanitation sectors.
*Community mobilization and training for sustainable transfer and Organization and Management [O&M] of the water supply schemes are needed.
*New water resources should be explored by using the advanced groundwater-prospecting techniques.
*Need to improve overall water management and enforcement of sustainable use of freshwater.
*Groundwater recharge, rainwater-harvesting schemes, and small dams should be constructed to tap the run-off water.
Courtesy Dawn
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