IRSA’s ‘no’ to Indus water for Karachi; Sindh to move CCI

ISLAMABAD: Indus River System Authority (IRSA) has refused to release 1,200 cusecs water per day from Indus river to cater to drinking needs of Karachi saying the demand of Sindh to this effect is not rational as share of the lower riparian province already contains the share of drinking water for Pakistan’s business capital.
Following the rejection of demand by water regulator, the Sindh government has decided to move CCI (Council of Common Interests) for inclusion of 1,200 cusecs of water per day for Karachiites in its shares, a senior official at Ministry of Water and Power told The News.
The Sindh government is officially of the view that water needs of the Karcahi are being met from various resources, but it is becoming more hard to cater to burgeoning needs of the ‘mini-Pakistan’ with every passing day keeping in view the consistent migration of masses from various pockets of the country for economic considerations which is why it is badly needed that IRSA should include the share of Karachi of about 1200 cusecs per day in the share of Sindh province so that the water crisis in the business capital could be resolved once for all.
IRSA spokesman Mr Khalid Idrees Rana said that under para-2 of 1991 water apportionment accord, IRSA is already releasing the water for Karachi from Tarbela dam in the share of Sindh province, but the water is not being supplied to Karachi.
This issue was earlier agitated by the low riparian province sometime in 2007 and at that particular time, IRSA had pleaded with the same stance that Sindh province is already getting water from Karcahi. However, IRSA has now advised the Sindh government to take up the said issue in the CCI for any solution.
Mr Rana also said that Authority’s decision on the issue earlier taken in 2007 cannot be reconsidered.Meanwhile, Sindh has also raised objection to construction of small Ghabir dam proposed at Chakwal, Punjab pleading that the Sawan tributary that originates from the same area where in the said dam is proposed ultimately ends up in Indus River. And in case, the said dam gets constructed, then, water flows in Sawan tributary will not reach Indus and the lower riparian federating unit will suffer.
The official said that Ghabir dam is part of series of small dams being constructed in Punjab and the member Sindh in the water regulator had earlier allowed the authorities of Punjab to construct the dam, but now under new scenario, the Sindh government has come up with objection and to this effect IRSA has advised Punjab to take the this particular issue in CCI. The Ghabir dam if erected would irrigate 70,000 acres of land
The official source s also told The News that Punjab has also raised objections on the water allocation in Kacchi canal which is still being constructed from Mangla dam after it is raised saying that raising of dam is not a future dam, rather it is meant to restore the capacity of dam that was eroded because of the silt piled in its bed. The water allocation of Kacchi canal contains three components that include perennial flows, flood flows and 0.36 MAF of water from Mangla dam after it was rasied. However, in the technical audit of kacchi canal, Punjab has raised its objections over the water allocation from Mangla raising. The spokesman said that regulator has also advised Punjab on this particular issue to move CCI for solution.