LARKANA:Sindh still is facing acute water scarcity as upstream and downstream water discharge at Guddu Barrage is 69570 and Sukkur Barrage and Kotri Barrage are facing shortage of 35.2% and 49.3% respectively.
This was stated by Suhail Anwar Siyal, Sindh Minister for Irrigation, Zakat and Ushr while addressing a news conference at Larkana Press Club Sunday. Siyal said that Punjab has 27% and Sindh is facing 47% water shortage. He said there is no mention of the 3-tier formula in the Water Accord but IRSA has invented it. He said it is the prime responsibility of IRSA to share water properly according to the Water Treaty of 1991 but despite repeated complaints by Sindh’s representative IRSA took no notice.
He said three provinces have objections against the TP Link Canal but IRSA keeps on ignoring Sindh’s point of view. He said IRSA is a water regulatory authority and its fundamental job is to distribute water according to rules. He said KP and Punjab are getting water now under a 3-tier formula but Sindh and Balochistan are denied their share.
Siyal said growers in Sindh have not yet been able to sow paddy saplings despite rice cultivation season. He said when I went to Guddu yesterday I found 35% shortage and 37% scarcity was detected at Sukkur. He said 250 cusecs of water has been increased today at Guddu. He said 20 FIRs have so far been registered against water thieves within five to six days.
Siyal said that the Prime Minister had constituted a committee headed by former attorney general Anwar Maqsood and a report of which was submitted in 2019 but it is not being discussed in CCI since then. Siyal further said injustices are continuously done with Sindh in federal uplift schemes as well.