By By our correspondent
The Water Accord of 1991 has not been implemented in letter and spirit since the Rabi season of 1999-2000, the Sindh Assembly was informed on Wednesday.
In a written reply to a question from Humera Alwani, Irrigation and Power Minister Murad Ali Shah said that there was an issue of interpretation of Para-14 (b) of the Water Accord of 1991, due to which the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) shares water on the basis of “historic use” in case of shortage. If there is no shortage, the water is distributed as per Para-2 of the Accord. The minister said that the Sindh govt had repeatedly taken up the issue before Irsa, and demanded that water be shared as per Para-2 of the Accord even during shortage.
Lately, the issue was raised on March 31, 2009, at the Irsa advisory committee meeting for Kharif 2009. The irrigation minister said he had also raised this issue before the President and the prime minister.
In another written reply to a question from Arif Jatoi, Shah said that there was no mention in the Water Accord about population being the basis for the allocation of water amongst the provinces.
To a supplementary question from Nusrat Abbasi, the irrigation minister said that the Water Accord of 1991 stated that “internationally-accepted principles” for distributing water will be followed, but it did not explain these principles.
Jam Tamachi observed that the unavailability of records of the accord reflected some foul play. He said that it was a fact that Sindh’s share of water was being stolen. This was the reason Punjab had become surplus in agriculture while Sindh, which used to have a surplus in this department, now had deficits, he maintained. In a written reply to a question from Arif Jatoi, Shah said that the alignment of the RBOD-III is under review because of the apprehensions of the people of Shahdadkot.
Responding to a supplementary question from Jam Tamachi, the minister said that they were considering an inquiry into complaints about the compensation of lands to “wrong people” in the RBOD-II. He said that it was noted that the alignment in the RBOD-II from Sehwan Sharif to Gharo in Thatta was made on the recommendations (Sifarish) of certain people, mainly to get compensation of lands. Shah said that he had asked the revenue minister to call a meeting in this regard.
Responding to a question from Bilqees Mukhtar, the irrigation minister said that cases of gastro enteritis were reported during the year 2003-04 in hospitals in Hyderabad. They were attributed to the flow of water from the Manchar Lake into the Indus River. Since these cases were reported, “appropriate measures” have been taken by the irrigation department in coordination with the Hyderabad district administration. Moreover, the govt is also pursuing a scheme to treat Manchar water to save the largest lake in Asia.
Responding to other supplementary questions, the minister said that the degradation of the lake started after 1999 because of lack of sufficient rains. He said that the treatment of water is very expensive, and five to six treatment plants will be installed along with the RBOD to treat water from the lake.
In a written reply to a question from Arif Jatoi, the minister said the total quantity of water supplied to Sindh by Irsa from January 1 to August 3, 2008, was 27.385MAF (million acre feet) as per Irsa records. The water supplied to Karachi during this period was 0.581MAF.
Till 1988, Karachi was getting 530 cusecs from the Indus River. Later, through the K-II and K-III projects, it was increased to 1,185 cusecs. Besides, there was the K-IV scheme as well, Shah said.
Paddy growers’ problems: Responding to points-of-order raised by Najmuddin Abro, Mohsin Shah and Munawar Abbasi, Agriculture Minister Ali Nawaz and Food Minister Nadir Magsi said that paddy growers will not get reasonable price for their products till rice is exported. The ministers said that they had raised this issue before the federal govt, in order to allow rice from Sindh to be exported.