Claim

The North West Canal has a 64% water shortage, the Rice Canal 68%, and the Dadu Canal 82%.

“नॉर्थवेस्ट कैनाल में 64% पानी की कमी है। राइस कैनाल में 68% और दादू कैनाल में 82% कम पानी है।”

Rationale

The underlying claim of severe shortages in these three Sindh (Pakistan) canals is real and well-documented for the 2026 Kharif season. Two of the three figures are roughly supportable: Dadu Canal at ~82% is close to the reported ~85.7%, and North West Canal around 64% appears in some daily readings (Dawn's own figure was 50.7%, so it varies). However, the Rice Canal figure of 68% is substantially overstated — primary reporting (Dawn) puts it at about 38-39% (5,300 of 8,700 cusecs). Because the general thrust is accurate but a key specific number is materially wrong, the claim is misleading rather than fully accurate.

Evidence

• https://www.dawn.com/news/2006698/punjab-draws-excess-water-as-sindh-and-balochistan-face-severe-shortages Dawn (June 2026) reports Sukkur Barrage right-bank canal shortages: North West Canal 50.7% (2,100 vs 4,260 cusecs), Rice Canal 39.1% (5,300 vs 8,700 cusecs), Dadu Canal 85.7% (860 vs 5,997 cusecs) — Rice Canal is far below the claimed 68%. ✗ unreachable · HTTP 403
• https://organiser.org/2026/06/07/357081/world/pakistan-indus-water-drifts-to-punjab-acute-crisis-in-dadu-canal-drought-in-sindh/ Corroborates a severe water crisis in Sindh's canals in mid-2026, with the Dadu Canal facing the most acute shortage (~82-86%) and the North West Canal around the low-to-mid 60s in some readings. ✓ reachable · archived
• https://www.dawn.com/news/2005737 Dawn documents that Sindh's irrigation shortage reached alarming levels in the 2026 Kharif season, confirming the underlying crisis but with daily-fluctuating percentages, not the exact figures cited. ✗ unreachable · HTTP 525