Senate body for addressing Sindh, Punjab water complaints

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Water and Power Tuesday called for addressing complaints of Sindh and Punjab over distribution of water.

The committee was apprised that Indus River System Authority (Irsa) provided more water to Sindh than its indent in April. The committee headed by Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan Nasir discussed acute shortage of water in Sindh, share of water of all provinces, progress on completion of Khado Grid Station (Malakand) and electricity share of Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco). Briefing the committee, Irsa Chairman Syed Mazhar Ali Shah said the Advisory Committee had already announced 10-15 percent shortfall in the system for Kharif season during April. However, there would be shortfall in rest of the season, he added. He said Sindh was getting full water share as per availability of water. He said water was being provided to Sindh from Mangla Dam.

Taj Haider said Sindh faced water shortage during early Kharif season. He said Bhasha Dam should be built besides desilting of existing dams in order to store more water. He feared that dead level of the dams would increase gradually if these were not desilted. 

Additional secretary Ministry of Water and Power said study was carried out for desilting of dams but it was very expensive. He said work on Dasu Dam Phase-1 had already been started. Similarly, he said, PC-1 of Mohmand Dam has also been approved and now it would go for tendering process. He said the dam would not onlygenerate 800MW electricity but also help mitigate floods. He said the commission set up on the directive of the Supreme Court in 2010 had also recommended construction of Munda (Mohmand) Dam.

However, he conceded that it was criminal negligence that work could not be started on the dam. He said three LGN-based power projects having accumulative capacity of 3,600MW would be fully operationalised by December. Bhikki Power Plant had already started supplying around 700MW to the national grid system while Haveli Bhadar Shah Power Plant would also start generation by this month. Similarly, Sahiwal Coal Power Plant was also expected to start contributing power supply to the system by next month, he said. The secretary said work on Kittchi Canal Phase-1 was in full swing.