By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD: The Indus River System Authority (IRSA) has cut down the water share of Punjab and Sindh due to an “excessive” shortage of water in the country.
According to a statement released by IRSA, after the reduction in water share, Punjab is getting 83,000 cusecs of water, while Sindh is being provided 74,000 cusecs of water. The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by the IRSA chairman to review water distribution among provinces.
Due to prevailing limited storage available in reservoirs and tumbling river inflows it was inevitable to apply cut on provincial shares, the water body said in a statement. The Irsa spokesperson in a statement has expressed hope that the water situation in rivers would improve in the next 48/72 hours.
The ongoing tug of war between the IRSA members from Sindh and Punjab over water distribution has touched a new high over the opening of TP link canal from Indus at a time when the low riparian federating units are craving for water even for drinking purpose
Sindh Irrigation Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal yesterday also met with Prime Minister Imran Khan here in Islamabad. During the meeting, matters related to water shortage and the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) were discussed.
Sindh minister in the meeting had compliant to the prime minister about the unfair distribution of water by IRSA among provinces.
“IRSA not giving Sindh its due share of water. TP link canal was opened despite objection from 3 provinces,” Siyal told PM Imran.
The Sindh government previously claimed that the province had been denied its due share of water with PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari blaming theft of water from canals in Punjab.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman had also slammed the federal government for opening the Taunsa-Panjnad link canal amid extreme shortage of water in Sindh proivince.
Earlier on Thursday, the Sindh Minister for Irrigation, Sohail Anwar Sial, claimed that he was served a notice by the National Accountability Bureau after he raised the issue of water shortages in the province.
Sial, a former provincial home minister, was addressing a press conference here Thursday after attending a meeting with the prime minister on water issue. The minister alleged that the NAB issued a notice against him when he was attending a meeting with the prime minister on the water shortages issue. The Sindh’s minister for irrigation said that he has asked the chairman NAB to direct DG NAB Sukkur that the case against him is false and concocted.
He said the Chief Minister of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa was present in the meeting with the prime minister today but Balochistan was not represented there. He said no final decision could be taken in the meeting with the prime minister. He mentioned raising the issue of IRSA chairman’s offensive attitude towards the authority member of Sindh.
Sial said Sindh is regularly meted out injustices and is being denied its rightful share of water under the Water Accord, and added that the provincial government is only demanding its rightful share. He charged the IRSA with supporting Punjab and added the PTI government is abusing Sindh while collaborating with IRSA.
