Government to conduct third party validation on water distribution, NA body told

The federal government has decided to conduct a third party validation on water distribution to Punjab and Sindh to remove mistrust between the two provinces, which are blaming each other for water theft.

This was revealed by Chairman Indus River System Authority (IRSA) Sher Zaman while briefing the National Assembly Standing Committee on Water Resources which met here with Nawab Muhammad Yousuf Talpur in the chair on Tuesday.

The committee met to review the land acquisition issues of Dasu Hydropower Project, implementation status of earlier recommendations of the committee, water distribution and its shortages to the provinces.

Zaman said that Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) would conduct the third party validation to which provinces have given their consent.

The parliamentary panel was informed that land acquisition cost of Dasu Hydropower Project has revised upward from Rs 19 billion to Rs 37 billion. The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved revised land acquisition cost for Dasu Hydropower Project worth Rs 37 billion.

Briefing the panel, Member WAPDA Zahid Khan Durrani said that the WAPDA would arrange additional cost of Rs 18 billion from its own equity and local commercial financers.

He said the Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had already committed that the district administration would complete the land acquisition for priority areas (1,247 acres of land) within six months and remaining land acquisition would be done within one year after the approval of revised land cost by the ECNEC.

He further apprised that the ECNEC in its meeting held on October 2, 2019 approved revised land acquisition plan on the proposal of the ministry but minutes are awaited. He requested that the SMBR KPK may be directed to fulfill his promise for acquisition of land to start the project as per proposed plan without any delay.

Chairman IRSA Sher Zaman briefed the committee about anticipated water availability for Rabi crop 2019-20 and rim stations inflows during Kharif season 2019.

The committee was informed that it has been anticipated that 15 percent water shortage for Sindh and Punjab in Rabi season 2019-20, starting from October 1, 2019, will continue till March 31, 2020. Balochistan faced 30 per cent and Sindh 7 per cent shortage of the anticipated water during the Kharif season (April-September 2019).

Zaman said that water availability of 24.15 MAF at rim station is anticipated during Rabi 2019-20. Based on the rim station inflows plus available storage of 10.268 MAF minus the expected system of 2.38 MAF and minor unavoidable escapage downstream Kotri, the approved availability at respective canal heads is estimated to be 31.44 MAF of which the share of Punjab will be 16.93 MAF, Sindh, 12.78 MAF, KP (CRCB), 0.71 MAF, and Balochistan, 1.03 MAF. The likely availability of 31.44 MAF is significantly higher than the last year's availability of 24.76 MAF and considerably higher than the 10-year average of 29.80 MAF. He said that currently additional over 4 MAF water is available in the reservoirs as compared to the last year.

Secretary Water Resources Muhammad Ashraf told the committee that the Council of Common Interests (CCI) has already approved water policy in April 2018. Under the policy, water storage capacity in the country would be enhanced to store additional 10 million acre feet (MAF) by 2030, he added. Out of total, around 7.1 MAF water would be stored through the construction of Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand Dams while remaining by small storages dams in all provinces, he said.

Regarding Naulong Dam, the committee was told that revised PC-1 of the project has been submitted to the Planning Commission for approval.

Regarding the provision of water to Bahawalpur, the secretary irrigation Punjab informed the committee that additional water is not available in the system and water is being provided to Bahawalpur as per its share. Additional water can only be provided in case of more storage capacity, he added.

The committee showed its displeasure to the secretary irrigation of all four provinces due to their lower level representation in the committee meeting on the agenda item regarding the IRSA to brief the committee on water distribution amongst the provinces and its shortages. The chairman IRSA and other members briefed the committee but due to non-availability of secretaries of irrigation departments from all four provinces, a subcommittee was constituted and the provincial secretaries of irrigation were directed to appear for their input that would be made part of the report of the sub-committee.

The committee deferred the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (Amendment) Bill, 2019 due to absence of its mover.

A sub-committee was constituted on the proposal of the secretary Ministry of Water Resources and on the request of the members of last subcommittee as the timeframe of 30 days of said subcommittee lapsed but it could not complete the assigned task.

While responding to the observations of MNA Ali Nawaz Awan, the chairman of the committee enhanced the terms of references (TORs) of the new sub-committee with observation that the said member may be invited as special invitee in the meeting of the subcommittee for taking the CDA on board. The said sub-committee will report to the subcommittee on water resources within 30 days as per rule.

The meeting was also attended by MNAs including Fazal Muhammad Khan, Ali Nawaz Awan, Sheikh Rashid Shafique, Muhammad Afzal Dhandla, Muhammad Farooq Malik, Javed Iqbal, Naureen Farooq Khan, Nuzhat Pathan, Khalid Hussain Magsi, Maryam Aurangzeb, Ehsan-ur-Rehman, Muhammad Hamid Hameed and senior officials of the Ministry of Water Resources and other concerned departments.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019