It, indeed, is disheartening to learn from a Recorder Report that the water flow measurement controversy between Sindh and Balochistan remained unresolved as the representatives of both provinces boycotted the meeting convened by the Minister for Water and Power, Liaquat Ali Jatoi, last Saturday.
Only the other day, when presiding over a meeting to review the water and flood situation, the minister had increased by 500 cusecs water share for Balochistan, directing IRSA to resolve flow measurement controversy between Sindh and Balochistan.
However, on that occasion, the IRSA chairman was reported to have taken the stand that the telemetry system provided by Siemens was full of faults, and that it was unlikely to be rectified. The minister was reportedly annoyed over the IRSA Chairman's remarks. For he was said to have taken this decision on a complaint from a Balochistan member of IRSA regarding shortfall of 19 percent in his province's share of water.
He had averred that water would be provided to all the provinces as per their share without any discrimination. It will also be noted that in the same meeting he had been told that there was no shortage of water, and as such all the provinces must get water as per their demand.
Understandably therefore, the meeting held on Saturday did not even touch the issue, which it was to deliberate upon, thereby focusing attention, once again, on the seemingly jinxed telemetry system. Little wonder, the minister warned the project director that he would be taken to task if the system was not streamlined within three weeks, saying he was answerable to the President, the Prime Minister, and the parliament on the issue, and that he would not spare the project director in case the Rs320 million system failed to deliver. At the same time, he is stated to have directed Wapda to rectify the apparatus within two weeks to remove the apprehensions of all stakeholders.
Will these warnings yield the desired result remains a baffling question, leaving the answer to varying guesses. More likely it has so to remain as neither Wapda nor IRSA seem to be inclined to own the telemetry system, which was installed, basically, to inspire confidence among the stakeholders on water releases.
But unfortunately water disputes among the provinces, though usually arising in times of scarcity of water could not be averted even during periods of abundance. This, certainly, is intriguing. It will be recalled that, motivated by President Musharraf's urge to end inter-provincial bitterness over water distribution, resort to telemetry was taken, four years ago, in view of wide recognition of its effectiveness.
Reference, in this regard, may also be made to the President's confidence-inspiring observations at the launch of his mass contact campaign in December last year, for creating awareness, and evolving consensus on building of dams. He had claimed that the telemetry system had ensured fair distribution of water, saying its stations at 23 points were providing exact reading of water outflows. As, then pointed out in these columns, he had good reason to believe that things had started moving in the desired direction.
However, things could not move smoothly in the desired direction. For one thing, it will be noted that IRSA could not overcome its very abhorrence of the system. Many and varied have been its allegations of its improper functioning of the system, with confusion worse compounded by complaints of water theft by provinces against each other. All in all, the telemetry controversy having remained unresolved too long, time has come to put an end to it.