Staff Reporter Karachi
The confrontation between Irsa and the Sindh government could not be resolved as the latter has rejected the three-tier formula presented by the water regulatory body demanding apportionment of water as per the 1991 Water Accord.
Reportedly, things have not been sorted out between the Irsa and the Sindh government on the issue of water apportionment as the Sindh government raised objections to the Irsa’s three-tier formula of apportionment.
Provincial Advisor on Agriculture Manzoor Wasan said on Thursday that the Sindh government rejected Irsa’s formula.
He demanded the province’s share according to the agreement of the 1991 Water Accord. He was of the view that Irsa’s three-tier formula was unconstitutional and unlawful and would destroy crops.
He objected as to why Sindh should suffer a loss of 28% water cut in its share and other provinces didn’t have to bear this cut.
He alleged that by giving less water to Sindh in the Rabi season, the federal government wanted to create an agricultural crisis including the wheat crisis.
He also accused Irsa of releasing less water to Sindh for 18 years wondering who would be responsible for this. “Irsa, Punjab and Wapda are stealing Sindh’s irrigation water,” Wasan alleged. He said below Kotri, people were confronting health hazards owing to brackish water available in the area.
Many diseases are spreading over there due to brackish water, he added. He regretted that since PTI ruled in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, Irsa members of these provinces were backing Punjab.
He held that the PTI government was responsible for causing maximum damage to the agriculture sector of Sindh. Less water means the province would have to bear a loss of billions in terms of lower agricultural yield, he maintained.
Wasan said that Sindh was apportioned less water in Kharif and now Irsa had slashed its share in Rabi. It would damage wheat yield and the province might face food insecurity. He demanded 14.82% share according to the agreement of 1991.
In case Irsa did not release water below Kotri downstream then Karachi, Tattha, Sajawal and Badin would be destroyed, the advisor exhorted.
