A Farmer’s Tale from Tando Allahyar

Here in Tando Allahyar, Sindh’s fertile heart, farming has always followed the seasons’ beat. My grandfather taught me to trust the Indus River’s flow and the sun’s warmth for our wheat, cotton, and sugarcane. But now, that beat is faltering. The sun scorches hotter, rains arrive late or flood our fields, and new canals on the Indus threaten our water. Climate change in Pakistan, paired with these projects, is hitting our crops hard, changing our lives and our future.

A Water Crisis Worsens with New Canals

In Tando Allahyar, the Indus is our lifeline. But the water crisis in Pakistan is growing, especially with the government’s Green Pakistan Initiative (GPI). Announced in 2023, it plans six new canals—five on the Indus and one on the Sutlej—to irrigate 4.8 million acres, mostly in Punjab and Balochistan. Here in Sindh, a lower riparian province, we’re scared. The Indus is already stretched thin, and diverting more water upstream could dry our fields. Protests erupted across Sindh in early 2025, with thousands, including women and children, marching in Karachi and Hyderabad against the canals. Sindh’s Irrigation Minister, Jam Khan Shoro, warned that the Cholistan canal alone could “turn Sindh barren.” Experts like Hassan Abbas call the project “unscientific,” saying sandy dunes in Cholistan can’t hold canal water efficiently. Sindh already gets 20% less water than its share under the 1991 Water Accord, and recent data shows a 50% shortfall at Sukkur Barrage. These canals, critics say, violate the Accord and could desertify our lands.

How Climate Change and Canals Disrupt Crop Cycles

Climate change is already shaking our farming. Add the canal crisis, and it’s a double blow:

• Shorter Growing Seasons: Rising temperatures cut wheat’s growing time, shrinking yields. Last year, my wheat was ready early but gave half the usual grains.
• Erratic Monsoons: Cotton and rice need timely rains. Late or heavy monsoons, like the 2022 floods that ruined 15% of Pakistan’s crops, destroy our fields.
• Water Scarcity: Glacier melt is slowing, and the Indus’s flow is weaker. New canals could divert even more water, leaving sugarcane fields parched. Sindh’s farmers fear a repeat of the 1960s, when upstream diversions hurt the Indus Delta.
• Pests and Diseases: Warmer weather brings pests like pink bollworms, which hit my cotton last season. Pesticides are costly and less effective.

These aren’t just farming woes—they mean less food, tighter budgets, and kids missing school.

What Can We Do?

We’re not giving up. Farmers here are adapting to climate change and fighting for our water:

• Climate-Resilient Crops: New drought-tolerant wheat and heat-resistant cotton are helping. I tried a wheat variety last year that survived a dry spell.
• Smart Irrigation: Drip irrigation saves water for sugarcane. Some neighbors got subsidies to install it, boosting yields.
• Crop Diversification: Growing pulses or vegetables reduces water needs and risks.
• Protecting Water Rights: Sindh’s protests demand halting the canals. The Sindh Assembly passed a resolution against the GPI, calling for transparency and fairness.

But we need more. The government must honor the 1991 Water Accord, fund small farmers, and prioritize Sindh’s water share. Federal claims that canals won’t affect Sindh ring hollow when we’re already shortchanged.

Why This Matters to Pakistan

The water crisis and climate change aren’t just Sindh’s fight—they affect everyone. If our crops fail, food prices spike, hitting cities like Karachi and Lahore. In Tando Allahyar, we’re doing our part, but we need all Pakistanis to care. Support local farmers, save water, plant trees, and demand fair water policies. Our fields feed the nation, but they’re drying up. As I walk my fields at dusk, praying for rain and fair water shares, I know the Indus is our soul. We must protect it before it’s too late.