ISLAMABAD: Indus River System Authority (IRSA) Advisory Committee (IAC), has projected 28 per cent water shortage for the Punjab and Sindh during Rabi season 2021-22. The water availability projection for Rabi 2021-22 was finalised by the Advisory Committee, which met with Saif Anjum in the chair, on Tuesday.
The meeting was attended by the Member Water WAPDA, the Member Power WAPDA, the Chief Engineer Advisor, the provincial irrigation representatives, the provincial agriculture representatives, and other officers. According to the IRSA, water inflows in Rabi 2021-22 are estimated at 21.592 MAF. The water storage for Rabi is 7.414 MAF, whereas, transportation losses during the season are estimated to be 2,044 MAF.
The Advisory Committee has also estimated that 0.052 MAF of water will go into the sea during cleaning. In Rabi season 2021-22, 26.911 MAF water will be available for the provinces. The Punjab has been allocated 14.361 MAF, Sindh 10.827 MAF, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 0.701 MAF, and Balochistan 1.022 MAF, respectively. The Punjab and Sindh will face 28 percent reduction.
On Balochistan's demand for 1,026 MAF surplus water, it was decided that the province should prepare its working paper and present it at the next IRSA meeting. The agenda for the rest of WAPDA's T.3 and T4 work has been postponed and they have been asked to prepare a working paper and send it to the next IRSA advisory meeting.
The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has been asked to prepare the TORs for Joint Disposal Management and submit them to the IRSA. On September 30, 2021, had failed to finalise anticipate water availability criteria for Rabi 2021-22, after the representatives of the Sindh government walked from the meeting against the water distribution mechanism.
Member Sindh, Zahid Hussain Junejo, who allegedly planned to stage a protest on the advice of Sindh government had invited media persons individually to share his apprehensions to the media.
However, when the IRSA asked media persons to leave the premises as it has not invited them, after which Member Sindh also avoided to talk to media, saying that he has not invited anyone for talk.
However, the IAC had rescheduled its meeting for October 5, 2021 along with the following agenda;(i) allocation of water to Balochistan over and above its share i.e. 1.026 MAC (S.E Patfeder Canal and drainage circle;(ii) briefing and decision on Wapda's constraints on T3/T4 and T5 works;(iii) presentation by the IWMI on the methodology of discharge measurements in the light of the IRSA's decision of June 16, 2021.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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