ISLAMABAD - The Indus River System Authority has shown its inability to increase water share of Sindh stating that the issue could be only resolved bilaterally with the governments of Punjab.

At a meeting of the Senate Special Committee on Water Scarcity on Tuesday, the IRSA said that currently both Punjab and Sindh were facing 37 percent water shortage and the issue of additional water supply could only be resolved by both the provincial governments bilaterally. 

The Senate Special Committee on Water Scarcity met with Senator Maula Bakhsh Chandio in the chair.

The committee recommended Punjab and Sindh to resolve the water issue within 72 hours. The committee also recommended that Chashma-Jhelum (CJ) link canal and TP canals should also be closed immediately. The committee recommended that for mitigating the water scarcity issue in the country, “We need to formulate an integrated strategy and develop new big water reservoirs”.

Punjab and Sindh were in a tug of war for getting more water as senators from Sindh claim that it was facing a drought-like situation and the farmers were unable to sow Kharif crops. The senators from the provinces also demanded that Sindh must be given water on an emergency basis.

Senator Sassui Palijo said that as the situation was getting worse with each passing day and Sindh should be declared a famine-hit province. The senator said that there was no drinking water in Sindh but Mangla Dam was being filled. Filling of dams should be stopped as to give water to Sindh, she said.  However, IRSA’s official refuted the senator’s claim saying that no filling of Mangla Dam was being carried out and 45,000-cusec was being released from the reservoir.

Senators from Sindh said that since Kharif season in Punjab starts a month later than Sindh, therefore, Punjab should provide some of its water to Sindh. However, a representative of Punjab said that in March, it has given water from its share to Sindh, but now it cannot do so due to its own high requirements.

IRSA Punjab member Rao Irshad said that all provinces had the right on the water and it was distributed under a formula. In March, Punjab has twice given water from its share to Sindh and now its own demand for water is high, so it cannot give it from its water share to Sindh,” he said. 

The IRSA official told the committee that due to low flows in Indus River system, canals were being operated on low efficiencies. He said that in Taunsa barrage, the flow of water was 3000 cusecs instead of 17500 cusecs. From C-J link canal, the water supply was 1000 cusecs and from T-P link canal, it was 1500 cusecs. In next 10 days, the system will get additional 10,000 cusecs of water.  

Federal Flood Commissioner Ahmad Kamal, who is currently serving the IRSA Chairman, said that water was distributed among provinces under a three-tier formula. “The total water release to the provinces is 121,500 cusecs with a shortage of 35 percent. Of this, Punjab is currently getting 67,500 cusecs facing 37 percent shortage, Sindh 45,000 cusecs (37 percent shortage), Balochistan is getting 5,900 cusecs and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 3100 cusecs,” he said.

The IRSA member from Sindh said that the province has the right of 48 million acre-feet of water and it should be given the share. “There is no mention of the three-tier formula in the agreement. In next few days, the water scarcity in Sindh and Punjab could get worse. If the water is released now, it would take three days to reach Punjab and several more days to Sindh. Despite our objections in April, water was released through C-J and T-P link canals, and we are not being heard,” he said.

Senator Palijo said that the release from these link canals should be stopped and Sindh should be given water on an emergency basis as it was facing an acute shortage.

The committee chairman asked the Sindh government to present its suggestions to the Council of Common Interests for a permanent solution to the water shortage.

The metrological department director-general said that “environmental changes are haunting us and the situation is getting worse and will further get worse in coming years”.

The committee asked both the provinces to bring their suggestions at next meeting for sorting out the issue. The committee also asked the Water and Power Development Authority to ensure presence at the next meeting.