KARACHI - Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Fazul-ur-Rehman has said that since there is water shortage in the country, therefore there should be sagacious distribution of water upto the tail-end and to the city of Karachi.

This he said on Monday while presiding over his maiden meeting on Irrigation department here at the CM House. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon, Principal Secretary to CM Aijaz Ali Khan, Secretary Irrigation Jamal Shah and Special Secretary (Tec) Irrigation Aslam Saryo. 

Secretary Irrigation Jamal Shah briefing the caretaker chief minister said that there was overall 42 percent declared water shortage in the country. Quoting water accord, Shah said that during kharif season water share of Sindh comes to 106,300 cusecs against which Sindh is receiving 36450 cusecs which is hardly 34 percent.

He said that the withdrawal at the canals of Guddu Barrage has been recorded at 7600 cusecs. Desert Pat Feeder withdraws 3555 cusecs and  Ghotki Feeder 4045 cusecs. The canals of Sukkur barrage withdraw 22715 cusecs. Their details are North Western Canal withdraws 1800, Rice Canal 1000, Dadu Canal 1675, Nara Canal 8100, Khairpur Feeder East 1140, Rohri Canal 8100 and Khairpur Feeder West withdraws 900 cusecs. Kotri Barrage’s withdrawal has been recorded at 6135 cusecs which include Kalri Baghar 2240 cusecs, Akram Wah 640 cusecs, Pinyari 1370 cusecs, New Fuleli 1885 cusecs.

The chief minister said that there were complaints of acute water shortage at Badin and other tail-end areas. He directed Secretary Irrigation to remove these complaints by releasing water, whatever it is available, upto the tail-end.

Talking about Karachi, the chief minister said that water level at Kinjhar be maintained at standard level so that water could be provided to Karachi smoothly. On this chief Secretary Rizwan Memon said that he was personally monitoring water releases to Karachi in proper and normal way.

Special secretary Aslam Ansari said that Kijhar Lake level has been maintained at 46.30 RL so that 1200 cusecs of water can be supplied to the city of Karachi without any problem. He added that when water position would improve in the River Indus, the lake level of Kinjhar would be brought up to 53.2 RL which turns to be two-month storage for Karachi.

Secretary Irrigation Jamal Shah said that temperature at Skurdu has increased to 32.2 degree (today – June 4), therefore glaciers would start melting and water position would improve. He said that water position would start improving from June 7 and by June 15 around 70 percent water requirement would be achieved. 

The chief minister directed the Irrigation department to manage water distribution properly so that everyone up to the tail end could get some share.