SAB lauds Irsa's decision on water distribution

The central executive committee of Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB) lauded the decision of Indus River System Authority (Irsa) that water distribution to provinces during the forthcoming Kharif season would be carried out in accordance with Water Accord 1991. The executive committee meeting, which held under the chairmanship of its President Abdul Majeed Nizamani, discussed in detail various problems confronted by the growers' community in the province.
The committee hoped that if water distribution were carried out according to accord, there would be no shortage of water in command areas.
The committee was of the view that the recent rains and snowfall in catchments areas has brought an end to six-year period of dry spell, which had negative impact on agriculture production.
The committee expressed their appreciation over the flow of 46,272 cusecs water downstream of Kotri Barrage and hoped that the present discharge would recharge the water bodies, which have been dehydrated by 50 percent due to acute shortage of water downstream of Kotri Barrage.
The committee at the same time expressed apprehension about possibility of major flood, which might have negative impact on Sindh's agriculture sector and called upon the government to take precautionary measures to save the lives and properties of the people of Sindh.
They suggested that to check the onslaught of the flood the structure of Kotri Barrage and protective embankment on both sides of Rive Indus should be strengthened on war footing to withstand the pressure of 1.2 to 1.3 million cusecs of water during the flood.
The committee has taken a serious note of government flouting its own decision over the allocation of fertiliser. Instead of 33 percent the growers of Sindh have been supplied only 10 percent of fertiliser. The committee demanded that warehouse of fertiliser companies and two region set up should be restored to avoid further degradation of agriculture sector.
The committee demanded the procurement process of wheat should be accelerated and free movement of wheat should be ensured at all cost.
The committee discussed in detail the law and order situation prevailing in the province and expressed its grave concern over deteriorated law and order situation.
The committee observed that the law and order situation could be judged by the facts that even the judges had to pay millions of rupees to secure their freedom, where kidnapping of teenagers for ransom is a common phenomenon, then how a citizen could fulfilled his obligations.
The committee further said that according to media thousand of army police and Rangers provide security to President and Prime Minister and where traffic remain suspended for hours together when these high profile signatories moves, the dream of strong economy and stable political system would remain a distance cry.