ISLAMABAD, March 6: A meeting of the Indus River System Authority convened for working out a compromised water sharing formula remained inconclusive on Wednesday.

After the day long deliberations and covering considerable ground towards the formula, proceedings were adjourned for a day giving members of Punjab and Sindh an opportunity to seek fresh views from their governments on the new formula presented by the NWFP.

Irsa had been directed by the Chief Executive Secretariat to work out a formula acceptable to both Sindh and Punjab and to submit its recommendations before Friday, IRSA Secretary Sohail Ali Khan told a briefing later.

The new formula was based on the spirit of ‘give and take’ as it proposed to determine shares of Punjab and Sindh by taking combine averages of their shares promised in the 1991 Water Accord, and averages of shares from 1977 to 1983 described as ‘actual average system uses’ commonly known as historical uses.

Mr Khan said that by taking average of the averages of historical uses and shares fixed in the 1991 accord a compromised formula could be worked out.

He pointed out that under the new formula Punjab’s share would be reduced by 1 per cent from whatever it had been getting by the implementation of actual average system uses. Whereas the Sindh’s share would be reduced by 1.22pc from the one fixed in the 1991 accord, he added.

Although the meeting held threadbare discussion on the NWFP formula, representatives of Sindh and Punjab stuck to their positions showing no sign of flexibility, he said.

The Sindh member of Irsa, Noor Mohammad Baloch, who is also the sitting chairman of the authority, appreciated the earnest effort of the NWFP but rejected the formula, saying it was not in the ambit of the 1991 accord.

The member of Sindh was of the view that Punjab being the aggrieved party should make a reference either to the Council of Common Interests, or the President.

The member of Punjab, the secretary said, remained firm to the formula given by his government that in case of availability of less than 103 MAF water, provincial shares should be determined on the actual average system uses, otherwise water should be distributed on the basis of the 1991 accord. Any other formula in the view of the member of Punjab would be a violation of the 1991 accord, Mr Khan said.

Federal Member Nasar Rajput insisted there was no need of any new formula in the presence of the 1991 accord, which had also been clarified by the Law Division.

The member of Balochistan said that provincial shares should be adjusted according to para 2 of the 1991 accord, a view falling in line with the position taken by the Sindh government.

In reply to a question about the reports of disbandment of Irsa, the secretary said these were baseless and unfounded.