Indus River System Authority (IRSA) has diverted all water supplies of Indus and Kabul rivers towards Sindh province and raised its share from 50,000 cusecs to 70,000 against Punjab's share of 3,000 cusecs only, senior Punjab Irrigation officials told Business Recorder here on Tuesday.
Visibly disturbed and frustrated over this move, they said consequently all the irrigation canals emanating from Chashma barrage including Thal, Greater Thal, Chashma-Jhelum link canal, Taunsa-Punjnad link canal, Muzaffargarh canal and Dera Ghazi canal have been closed at a time when all important cotton crops sowing is in full swing. They said the water regulatory body, IRSA, in which Sindh has two members as against one member each of the other three provinces has unilaterally taken this step which is devastating for the agriculture sector of Punjab as it would not be able to sow cotton crop in cotton belt of south Punjab for scarcity of irrigation water. Punjab produces 80 percent of the major crops like cotton, wheat, sugar cane and rice, they added.
They said that Punjab government lodged a strong protest with IRSA on Tuesday over the unilateral closure of south Punjab's strategic irrigation canals which will surely cause irreparable loss to the national economy heavily dependent on cotton production.
Director General Agriculture Extension Services Dr Anjum Ali told this scribe that diversion of 70,000 cusecs water to Sindh at this time was unnecessary as 91 percent sowing of Kharif crops including cotton has been completed in that province. "In Punjab cotton crop has been sown only on 40 percent area against the target of 75 percent till date. It is a great disservice to south Punjab and Bahawalpur division to cut the water supplies whereas 60 percent sowing of cotton crop still remains. He said Punjab agriculture department has made arrangements for sowing cotton crop over 6.2 million acre to produce around 11 million cotton bales but our strategic plans have been frustrated, he added.
FAP Demands the President to intervene at a specially convened meeting. Farmers Associates Pakistan strongly resented the closure of all canals from River Indus despite agreed share of water as per the 1991 water accord. They considered it a strong injustice to the just rights of water to Punjab and its growers which takes care of 85 percent of agriculture produce in Pakistan. Last year despite floods it was Punjab which produced 16 million cotton bales and saved the textile industry of Pakistan.
The members of FAP strongly resented IRSA's unilateral and unjustified action of stopping the due share of water of Punjab farmers and demanded that the President of Pakistan should immediately take notice of this injustice and order resumption of due share of water to Punjab, where the major sufferers are the cotton growers and farmers of the south Punjab.
WATER REPORT Meanwhile according to 22nd May rivers flows and reservoirs level report of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) water supplies in the four live rivers of the country have further dipped due to cold and cloudy weather in the upper parts of the country. Water flow in river Indus at Tarbela has squeezed to 46,200 cusecs against last years flow of 1,57,500 cusecs, in river Jhelum at Mangla 40,200 against last year supply of 77,246 cusecs, in river Kabul at Nowshera 36,300 cusecs and in river Chenab at Marala 23,000 cusecs. The report said that IRSA is releasing all the run of the river flows into irrigation canals for sowing the Kharif crops. The water inflow in river Indus at Jinnah barrage is 80,500 cusecs, Chashma 86,400 cusecs, Taunsa 60,000 cusecs, at Guddu barrage 51,800 cusecs, at Sukkur barrage 39,700 cusecs and at Kotri barrage 14,070 cusecs.
WEATHER FORECAST FOR TODAY Met office in its weather forecast for today (Wednesday) has said that mainly hot and dry weather is expected over most parts of the country; however dust-thunderstorm/light rain is expected at isolated places of Rawalpindi, Malakand and Hazara divisions, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.
RAINFALL (MM) RECORDED DURING LAST 24 HOURS: Chilas=07, Garhi Dupatta=06, Rawalakot and Gupis=05(each), Hunza=04, Kalam=03, Dir, Bunji and Murree=02(each), Bhakkar=01, Islamabad Z/P, Balakot, D.I.Khan, Chakwal, Muzaffarabad, Astore, Gilgit and Drosh=Trace (each).