KARACHI Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Saifullah Dharejo has accused Punjab of stealing a big quantum of water directly from River Indus through heavy machinery which drastically reduced the water share of Sindh. The irrigation department was unable to post the staff at all places to stop this practice. Whenever we got such information we promptly report the matter to IRSA to look into the matter and do the needful, he added. The minister gave this explanation on the floor of Sindh Assembly here on Wednesday while responding to a supplementary question on a written query of NPP member Arif Mustafa Jatoi, who had requested the minister for full information about share of water of Sindh. The written submitted question asked, Is it fact that Sindh government does not independently verify water flows and uses figures calculated by IRSA/Federal government. The minister in his reply stated that each province provides its water flows and utilisation data to IRSA where it is compiled. No independent verification of entire data of all other province is done by Sindh province. However, staff of irrigation department Sindh is posted at important head-works in Punjab province to monitor and verify the river flow figures and relevant data, he added. It is very difficult to post the staff at all the head works and regulation points etc, all over the country to check and verify the figures of flows and utilisation, he said. Responding to a written query of construction of new barrage at Sehwan between Sukkur and Kotri Barrage to irrigate the barren land on Dadu and Jamshoro districts, he said feasibility study was conducted on the issue but no action was taken because the experts had some reservations on availability of water. The recent flood, however, he said, added new dimensions to the proposed plans. Sindh Minister Syed Sardar Ahmed informed the house when he was bureaucrat the then Chief Engineer Solangi had suggested Seeta Road as a suitable place for the new barrage. After the end of the question hour, the recent flood and damaged to the dykes and delay in the repair work came up for an energetic discussion. This issue was taken up on a point of order raised PML (F) legislator Nusrat Sehar Abbasi. She asked that the government had set up a committee under MPA Ahmed Ali Shah to monitor the repair work. However, she said MPA Ahmed Ali Shah in the media had expressed his dissatisfaction over the repair work. She said this house wanted to know why a responsible legislator had reservation over the rehabilitation works of the damaged dykes. Ahmed Ali Shah who headed the committee while explaining the house said that repair work on Tori Bund and dykes of Dadu and Thatta should have been started three months ago. He said in Punjab the government grant was released immediately and local population cooperated in the repair works of damaged dykes there but unfortunately in Sindh the local people are demanding extortion money from the contractors who are working on the repair work. Ahmed also expressed dissatisfaction on the quality of works and said it needed constant monitoring. Besides a number of MPAs, Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro also expressed concern over the inordinate delay in carrying out necessary repair works. Particularly, he referred to Aqil Agani bund in Larkana where the work is yet to start although paddy cultivation season will fall in April. He said that as paddy season was round the corner for which water would be released from Terbela so the people have concerns as to how the repair works would be carried out. Nisar Khuhro said that irrigation system is to be rehabilitated and river Indus be protected. On the issue of extortion demanded by some people in Tori area, the Speaker said that maintaining law and order was the responsibility of the government. Earlier, Speaker announced that Governor has given assent to government bills- The Pakistan Institute of Management Bill, 2010 and The Colonization of Government Lands (Amendment) Bill, 2010. The chair adjourned the house till Thursday after the agenda was completed.