Various Punjab farmers' associations welcomed reopening of the Chashma Jhelum link canal with a discharge of 15,000 cusecs on Thursday. Talking to Business Recorder Convenor Punjab Water Council Farooque Bajwa demanded that Indus River System Authority (Irsa) should release 22,000 cusecs water in the CJ link canal as per indent of the Punjab irrigation department.
"Since there is sufficient water flowing in the rivers, there is no reason for not releasing the water to the canal's full capacity ", he added. He said the canal run uninterrupted till end of September as it irrigates four million acres of land of Bhakkar, Laiyya, Muzaffargarh, Jhang, T.B. Singh, Khanewal, Multan, Vehari, Lodhran, and Bahawalpur districts.
Director and chief co-ordinator, Farmers Associates of Pakistan (FAP) Dr Tariq Bucha said " reopening of CJ link canal is not a favour to south Punjab as it was constructed under the 1960 Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan as an alternate source of water after surrendering three western rivers Ravi, Sutlej and Beas to India. Bucha said "Sindh should have no objection to the running of this perennial canal as Punjab uses it only to canalises its own share of water under the 1991 Water Distribution Accord among the provinces.
He apprehended if CJ link canal is closed under political pressure then millions of farmers of south Punjab would come on the roads as denial of water at this stage would destroy their cotton and rice crops which are their lifeline and backbone of the country's economy.
Chairman Basmati Growers Association Hamid Malhi demanded reconstitution of Irsa as Punjab is the biggest province with a water share of 52 percent whereas its representation in the water distribution body is only 20 percent. He said Sindh has 40 percent representation in Irsa that gives it a veto power against Punjab.
President Sairaki National Party Abdul Majeed Kanju said that Tarbela dam constructed to provide water to the Sairaki Sooba (south Punjab). Therefore neither Punjab nor Sindh has no right over the use of water stored in the Tarbela dam on river Indus.
Kanju bitterly criticised successive Punjab governments since Independence as they have usurped rights of the Sairaki people. He said, "we were not a party to 1991 Water distribution Accord among the provinces, therefore, we do not accept", the Sairaki leader added.
Consultant Punjab Irrigation department M.H. Siddiqui said Punjab had submitted a water indent for discharge of 21,500 cusecs into the CJ-link canal from Indus river. However it has reduced its indent to 15,000 cusecs for next five days. He said Sindh government's opposition to the reopening of CJ link canal is not justified as Irsa has also increased its share from 1,80,000 cusecs to 2,40,000 cusecs water.
"More than 4,26,000 cusecs water is presently running into the four live rivers of the country which is sufficient to meet all irrigation water requirements of the provinces, he added. Siddiqui, a veteran irrigation engineer said, the Sindh's entire irrigation system has capacity to run 1,34,000 cusecs water into its canal, whereas Irsa is releasing 2,40,000 cusecs water downstream Chashma barrage for Sindh province, he argued.
About the working of Irsa he said that Irsa Advisory Committee, comprising senior representatives of the provincial governments meets in the last week of March to allocates water to the provinces for Kharif crops till 30 September keeping in view the possible availability of water during the summer season.
He elaborated that in light of their 6 monthly water allocations, the provinces send their indents to Irsa on 10-day basis and also indicate the channel from where it would like to get it. He said the Advisory Committee also gives a schedule to Irsa for refilling the dams, Tarbela and Mangla on river Indus and Jhelum respectively. Under this schedule Mangla is to be refilled 80 percent till 30th June and water releases from Mangla are adjusted accordingly.
He said the Sindh dominated Irsa has not been following this schedule and releasing more water from Mangla dam despite opposition by Punjab with the result that filling of Mangla is far behind the schedule. Siddiqui said that Sindh has been receiving more water than its share whereas as it is receiving 1,79,200 cusecs water at Guddu barrage, 1,16,300 cusecs at Sukkur barrage and 43,555 cusecs at Kotri barrage. It is releasing 6, 035 cusecs downstream the Kotri barrage into the Indus delta after meeting all its irrigation water needs.
Meanwhile, Flood Warning Centre in its report 15th July River Kabul at Nowshera is in Medium flood and River Indus at Chashma is in Low flood. Flow in Indus at Tarbela 2,52,400 cusecs, Kabul at Nowshera 65,900 cusecs, Jhelum at mangla 42, and Chenab 66,700 cusecs Irsa has stored 2,666 MAF water in the Tarbela dam and 3.413 MAF water and 0.197 MAF in Chashma barrage till Thursday.
MET OFFICE FORECAST: Mainly hot/ humid weather is expected over most parts of the country. However, Isolated thunderstorm/ rain is expected over south-east Sindh. Rainfall (MM) recorded during past 24 hrs Parachinar=25, Bahawalpur (Airport=02, City=01), Drosh, Shadiwal & Sara-i-Alamgir=01(each).