Secretary Irrigation apprises IRSA Chairman of objections and reservations raised by Sindh in Advisory Committee held on Sept.30
Karachi: Sindh Irrigation Department has asked the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) to resolve the water shortage issue by ensuring judicious distribution of Indus River water and to create harmony between Sindh and other provinces.
As the water shortage issue persists, in a letter sent to the IRSA chairman on the instructions of Sindh Minister for Irrigation Department Jam Khan Shoro, Secretary Irrigation Suhail Ahmed Qureshi also apprised him about the objections and reservations raised by Sindh during the Advisory Committee’s meeting held on 30th September, 2021 in Islamabad.
The letter said in that the meeting was told that IRSA was trying to distribute water shares among the province by ignoring the water accord of 1991. Sindh representative had opposed this move of IRSA officials and had pointed out that water account of the Kharif season shown in the presentation of IRSA was incorrect, as noticed by the representatives of Sindh province. The figures shown regarding the shortages of Sindh and Balochistan provinces for Kharif season were also incorrect in presentations. The Chairman IRSA had ended the meeting after passing harsh remarks on the representatives of Sindh province.
Further, the letter stated that Sindh province had been staging protest against the three tier formula for 18 years but IRSA had been ignoring it and taking no such action, and despite it, IRSA authorities have openly supported the three tier formula which has no legal status.
Also read: Short supply of water causes $0.824 billion loss to Sindh’s economy
“The federal government should take effective steps to bound IRSA to ensure the strict implementation on 1991 water accord,” the provincial Secretary of Irrigation Department, said requesting IRSA Chairman that in view of these facts, IRSA should seriously consider water issues of the provinces to create harmony between Sindh and other provinces. (PR)
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