September 26, 2002	Thursday	Rajab 18, 1423

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

ISLAMABAD, Sept 25: Indus River System Authority (Irsa), decided on Wednesday that to redress grievances of Balochistan about water shortage during Kharif season, water will be allocated for Kachhi canal.

The authority also decided that the ministers of irrigation of province of Balochistan and Sindh should meet within next few days and address the complaints of Balochistan, an Irsa source said.

The certification for the availability of water for Kachhi canal was the main issue of discussion at Wednesday’s meeting, the source added.

The authority, however, granted a conditional certification asking Balochistan that the unutilized 0.821 million acre feet (maf) of water of Pat Feeder canal extension project would be utilized in Kachhi canal project.

The meeting concluded that the flood supplies share and the additional water, which would be available after raising of Mangla Dam’s height, would be distributed under para 4 of Water Apportionment Accord, 1991.

It also reviewed the water situation and noted that the actual inflows for Indus and Chenab rivers remained high whereas in case of Kabul and Jehlum rivers the inflows remained low as compared to the maximum anticipated water.

Over all the inflows for the system remained almost seven per cent higher than the expected maximum inflow. Also inflows for the period were higher by 19 per cent and 11 per cent as compared to the Kharifs 2001 and 2002.