The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) has estimated over 37 percent overall shortage of water in the first watering of Rabi season. However, Punjab and Wapda have rejected the Irsa plan predicting that the estimated water shortages would be more than that, while NWFP and Sindh have accepted Irsa's water sharing formula, sources told Business Recorder here on Saturday.
The plan was deliberately discussed during an important meeting of Indus River System Authority (Irsa) Technical Committee presided over by Authority's chairman Abdul Rahim Zarkoon, which was also attended by all members from Punjab, Sindh, NWFP, Balochistan, Federal Government and Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda).
According to Irsa plan, about 22 MAF water would be available for the Rabi season, sources said.
No consensus however could be arrived at the Irsa water distribution plan so it was decided that technical committee meeting would continue till Monday to chalk out comprehensive water sharing formula acceptable to all stakeholders, sources added.
They said that once the consensus is reached in this regard, an agreed water-sharing plan would be submitted before the Advisory Committee meeting of Irsa to be held on October 2 here in Islamabad.
Irsa will also continue to arrange its internal meetings to discuss the plan for upcoming Rabi season, they said.
However Irsa spokesman declined to give any detail about the plan. He said that it is too early to disclose anything. However, everything will be crystal clear on Monday. He hoped that a consensus would be reached among the provinces more or less over the Irsa formula.
Sindh also presented its point of view according to which water should be released to the province for its standing crops from reservoirs besides run-of-river formula.
The spokesman said that river flows have improved in the last week.
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