Karachi, October 11, 2021 (PPI-OT):Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, in a meeting with the Federal Minister for Water Resources Chaudhry Moonis Ellahi, said that his government would not accept any water sharing scheme, including Three-tier formula, other than 1991 water accord and concrete measures should be taken to strengthen IRSA so that it could implement the water accord in its true letter and spirit and did not allow opening of link canals in the Punjab during early and late kharif. The meeting was held here on Monday at CM House. Federal Minister Moonis Ellahi was assisted by Federal Water Secretary Shahzad Bangash, Joint Secretary Water Mehar Ali Shah and Director Ashar Abbas Zaidi.
The chief minister was assisted by his team, including Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro, Chairman P and D Hassan Naqvi, Chief Engineer irrigation Zareef Khero, Member IRSA Zahid Junejo, Additional secretary to CM Fayaz Jatoi. At the outset of the meeting, federal Minister Moonis Illahi said that he had started meeting with the stakeholders, province, to hear their point of view on the water sharing scheme. He added that he wanted to resolve all the outstanding issues amicably. Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, welcoming the federal minister and his efforts to resolve the water sharing issue, said that the 1991 accord was approved by the Council of Common Interest and acceptable to all the provinces.
“Our grievance is very simple that we want the federal government to strengthen the IRSA to enable the body to implement the water accord in its true letter and spirit,” he said and added that the IRSA has failed to implement the accord and allowed the Punjab to open its link canals. Mr Shah tracing the history said that the Indus water has been put to irrigation use since the last several centuries. Initially there were inundation canals, withdrawals in these canals were dependent on the level of water in the river, he said and added the first headwork was constructed on the Ravi River in Punjab during 19th Century.
After that, several other headworks were constructed across the tributary’s rivers from 1882-1901 and the first Barrage across Indus – Sukkur Barrage was constructed in 1932.Mr Shah said that after construction of Sutlej Valley Canals Project in 1933, certain difficulties arose for sharing of water amongst the states of Bekanir, Bahawalpur, Khairpur and Punjab. “In order to resolve the issue, the government of India appointed Anderson committee in 1937, he said and added “The Anderson Committee submitted its recommendations regarding water allocation of the then existing canal system and the proposed Thal Canal and the government had approved the recommendation of Anderson Committee.
Murad Shah said that in 1940, on the complaint of Sindh Province against Proposed Bhakra dam project of Punjab Province, the government [India] appointed Rau Commission for investigation. In the light of recommendations of Rau Commission, the negotiations between Punjab and Sindh were initiated in 1943 and during September 1945 an agreement was signed by the Chief Engineers of Punjab and Sindh. This is known as Sindh-Punjab Agreement, the CM said and added some financial issues remained unresolved till partition.
According to Murad Ali Shah in 1948, India cut-off waters to some of Pakistan canals, which had their headworks located in Indian territory. After long negotiations, a Treaty was signed by two countries on 30thSeptember 1960, called the Indus Waters Treaty. As per Treaty, full rights of utilization of water of three Eastern Rivers – Ravi, Sutlej and Beas were given to India. Waters of Indus, Jhelum and Chenab Rivers were given to Pakistan with some limited rights to India. The CM said that after the Indus Water Treaty the Pakistan government constituted four commissions in 1968, 1970, 1976 and 1983 but consensus could not be achieved, therefore an Ad hoc sharing arrangement in post- Tarbella period was made in 1976.
He added that under the ad hoc arrangement KPK was allowed to take water as per its existing requirement and Punjab was given 33 percent of water in Rabi and 50 percent in early Kharif. Sindh and Balochistan were given 67 per cent Indus water in rabi and 50 percent in early Kharif. Murad Ali Shah said that Water Accord 1991 was signed amongst the provinces on 16th March 1991 and was ratified by CCI on 21 March 1991. He added that the Allocations to the provinces were mentioned in Para-2 of the Accord and Para-4 mentioned for distribution of flood supplies and future storages. The Paras 6 and 7 were related to future storages and downstream Kotri and Para 13 was regarding establishment of IRSA.
Mr Shah said that the detailed month‑wise/ 10‑daily‑wise distribution was not done in the first stage, however, a clause to work out 10‑daily allocations was included in the Accord, which was narrated in clause 14‑b. According to Para 14-a of the Accord, the system-wise allocations were worked out separately, on a 10-day basis and attached with the agreement as part and parcel of the Accord after approval from CCI on 16.9.1991.Giving allocations under the 1991 accord, the chief minister said that the Punjab was given 55.94 MAF or 47.7 percent water, including 37.07 MAF or 46.8 percent water in Kharif and 18.87 MAF or 49.4 percent in Rabi.
Sindh’s share came to 48.76 MAF or 41.5 percent, including 33.94 MAF or 42.9 percent in Kharif and 14.82 MAF or 38.8 percent in Rabi. The KPK has been allocated 8.78 MAF or 7.5 percent water and Balochistan 3.87 MAF or 3.3 percent water. The CM said that the 1977-82 Annual Average System Uses were used as a guideline according to the accord (Para 14-b) for developing 10- daily uses of the allocations mentioned in Para-2 of the Accord to fulfill the requirement of Accord according to Para-14 (a).Comparing the water accord and annual average system uses (1977-82) with respect to Sindh-Punjab 1945 agreement, Murad Ali Shah said that the Punjab has taken 48.33 MAF water under Sindh-Punjab agreement of 1945, got 54.55 MAF water under annual average system uses and 55.94 MAF under water accord 1991.
He added that the figures showed that the Punjab had got 15.75 percent more water or benefit. Talking about Balochistan, the CM said that they took a benefit of 217.21 percent by taking 1.22 MAF under 1945 agreement, 1.63 MAF under annual average system uses and 3.87 MAF under waster accord. He added that the KPK got 75.25 percent more water by drawing 5.01 MAF under 1945 agreement, 5.55 MAF under Annual Average System suses and 8.78 MAF under 1991 water accord. Murad Ali Shah deplored that it was the province of Sindh which got benefit of only and only 0.04 percent more water by taking 48.74 MAF under 1945 agreement, 43.53 MAF under annual average system uses and 48.76 MAF under 1991 accord.
Talking about the role of the IRSA, Mr Shah said that it [IRSA] has failed to implement sharing in shortage as per indicated seasonal allocations of different canal systems as ratified by CCI on 16th September 1991. He emphasized that the shortages should be shared by the provinces but IRSA has failed to implement it also. Three-Tier Formula: The chief minister, discussing the impact of Three-tier formula during kharif, said that Punjab, KPK and Balochistan would get more water, if distribution was made as per three tiers. Murad Ali Shah elaborating his point said that 73.68 MAF water was available and under three-tier formula during Kharif the Punjab would get 38.21 MAF water, Sindh 31.80 MAF, Balochistan 2.85 MAF, KPK 0.82 MAF.
He added that under the 1919 accord the Punjab would get 36.57 MAF water, Sindh 33.49 MAF, Balochistan 2.81 and KPK 0.80 MAF. “The difference between three tier formula vis a vis 1991 accord shows that Punjab would get 1.64 MAF, Balochistan 0.04 MAF and KPK 0.02 MAF more water and Sindh would get 1.69 MAF less water,” Mr Shah said and added his government would not never accept three-tier formula because history showed that every successive formula has been curtailing the water share of people of Sindh.
Federal Minister for Water Moonis Ellahi said that he was not in favour of reducing Sindh’s water share and that we would discuss the matter with other provinces so that just distribution of water could be ensured. The chief minister also discussed downstream Kotri water escapade and said it was necessary for survival of the Indus delta. Mr Moonis Ellahi assured the chief minister that more discussions on distribution of water, strengthening of the IRSA and protection of the Indus delta would be held to find a durable solution.
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