ISLAMABAD
Senate standing committee on water and power on Tuesday suspending orders of Minister Khawaja Asif observed that Wapda has no authority to settle water disputes among provinces.
“Wapda has no authority to solve water disputes among provinces, IRSA has the mandate to solve the issues among provinces over water share”, committee chairman Zahid Khan said.
During the proceedings Khan reprimanded Minister Khawaja Asif and Secretary Nargis Sethi for not attending the meeting. Moula Baksh Chandio said that Asif’s statement that Wapda would solve disputes among provinces is to cover his failures and this statement is itself unconstitutional.
Over the growing concerns of provinces regarding water share, Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Mohammad Asif, last week directed Wapda to act as a focal agency to address apprehensions of provinces over distribution of water.
Chairman Wapda Zafar Mehmood surprised the members by telling that the telemeter system, to check water flows is out of order.
He said his department wants to co-operate with IRSA for the restoration of the system.
He further reveled that Neelam-Jehlum project is facing acute shortage of funds. CEO project, Zubair Ahmed informed the committee that Neelam Jehlum dam is 74 percent completed and 6.7 kilometer long tunnel has been dug out.
“In last financial year, Rs37 billion were spent on the project and Rs74 billion more is required this year”, he said.
He said Chinese EXIM bank has pledged $300 million. He said public is paying Rs 6 billion for this project, in their bills.
The committee also remanded officials over the extension given to officers serving in Discos after their retirement.
Zahid khan observed that extension to all such officers is violation of orders of Supreme Court.
Recently provinces have been showing their concerns over the supply of water.
It was reported that disappearance of Indus water, upstream Tarbela Dam and erroneous flow measurement by Wapda at Chashma Barrage had become a serious problem.
Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab had protested over huge water losses between Besham and Tarbela and faulty measurements at Chashma.
It is worth mentioning that Ministry of Water and Power recently claimed that water flow gauging system was working properly and provinces are receiving water share according to their designated quota.
This claim was made last month, when ministry through an email said that, Ministry of Water and Power and Indus River System Authority (IRSA) have rectified a technical fault in discharge measurement through the power house at Chashma Barrage, on June 25th 2014 which was causing less discharge of water downstream Chashma Barrage.
The ministry claimed that after the rectification of this fault due share of water under the Water Apportionment Agreement of the Provinces of Sindh and Balochistan were released.