The Punjab government finalised its case for presentation at an important meeting of the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) in Islamabad today (Tuesday), sources told Business Recorder here on Monday. They said that the senior irrigation officials held a meeting with Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif here on Monday and finalised the presentation to be made at the inter-provincial meeting called by Irsa.
Provincial Irrigation Minister Raja Riaz and Secretary Irrigation Baber Hassan will represent Punjab at meeting called by Irsa for apportionment of about 70 million acre feet MAF water among the four provinces which is 35 percent less than the country's Rabi crop requirements. Sources said that Irsa Chairman has also invited eight members of the National Assembly from the Sindh province to attend the meeting which is usually attended by the provincial irrigation ministers and senior officials.
It may be added that the dispute between Punjab and Sindh provinces over distribution of Indus water is more than a century old and it has gone through various phases during all these years. The dispute assumes serious dimensions in the years when there is shortage of water for Rabi or Kharif crops.
Punjab says it produces 80 percent of the total wheat production of the country and more than 70 percent of other cash crops like cotton and rice, therefore the water should be considered as a national resource and be distributed on "historical use" basis and the average use of Indus river water from 1977 to 1982 be taken as a benchmark.
Sindh province says that water be apportioned on the basis of 1991 Water Accord among the provinces. Under the Accord Sindh got the allocation of 48.76, including 8. 7 MAF for Karachi Municipal uses and Punjab got an allocation of 55.94 out of 117.35 MAF apportioned to the provinces.
Punjab irrigation sources say that the 1991 Accord forecast annual availability of 117 .35 MAF whereas it has been between 104 to 110 MAF in good years. "Besides the implementation of the accord was dependent on the construction of new water storages/dams which have not been done so far", they contend. They further argued that Punjab agriculture economy has hugely suffered due to Chenab river water blockade by India in Baglihar dam during this Kharif season, therefore Irsa should compensate Punjab during the Rabi crop sowing. They further contend that wastage and water losses in Sindh are very high as compared to Punjab which should be controlled.
It may be added that Balochistan government has also been protesting and claiming that Sindh government releases less water than its share enshrined in water accord. This issue is also likely to come up in today's Irsa meeting. Meanwhile Irsa has totally stopped water releases from Tarbela Dam except for the run of the river water from Monday as more 40 percent of the reservoir has already been emptied.
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