LARKANA:Provincial Irrigation Minister Suhail Anwar Siyal has said that acute water shortage was being faced in many areas of Sindh including Qubo Saeed Khan, Warah, Thatta, Sujawal and Thar, adding 44% water scarcity had been recorded at Kotri Barrage.
“Despite those circumstances, Karachi is being supplied over 700 cusecs of drinking water because Karachi is the heart of Pakistan,” he said while addressing media persons at Larkana Press Club here Monday. He said: “PPP is the representative party of Sindh adding if required water share is denied to people of Sindh then protests will be held on the call of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari everywhere.”
He said cotton shortage had been reported by the growers due to water shortage in Ghotki, Dadu Canal and Bhan Saeed Abad. RSA claims that Sindh is supplied 71,000 cusecs water which is wrong adding Sindh is supplied 66,000 cusecs water from Chashma Barrage despite indent of 90,000 cusecs.”
He said according to the Water Accord of 1991, the share of Punjab is 100,800 cusecs whereas Punjab is getting 96,155 cusecs of water, hence, Punjab was facing only 5% water shortage in comparison to Sindh. He said IRSA was wrong to claim that Sindh was facing only 4% water shortage whereas it was facing 28% water scarcity. He said in the Kharif season, Sindh was getting 3.421 million acre feet water previously but now only 2.477 million acre feet water had been received. He said 37% water shortage was recorded till yesterday at different barrages of Sindh. He said distribution of water was being done under a three-tier formula and not according to the 1991 Accord.
He said Balochistan was getting its proper share. He said Punjab had never shared water statistics on a daily basis whereas Sindh was disclosing everything. He said instead of resolving the issue, IRSA was acting on behalf of one province which does not suit a regulatory authority. He said the federal ministers of Sindh were always talking about rights of Sindh and then asked why they were mum over this major issue of the province? He claimed cases would be lodged against water theft across Sindh.