ISLAMABAD, April 13: The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) has turned down a request from Sindh to amend the Kharif Water Management Plan finalised earlier this week.

Irsa sources told Dawn on Sunday that Sindh irrigation department had asked the authority to amend the Kharif water plan under which it was to share with Punjab on water accord basis the 2.1 million acre feet (maf) water earlier allocated for downstream Kotri.

The sources said the Sindh irrigation department had come under criticism in the province for giving up its longstanding position on water allocation for downstream Kotri areas where people face even drinking water shortages.

The sources said Irsa could not change the water management plan on its own because it had been approved by consensus among the representatives of all the four provinces and could only be undone by the same forum.

They said the Sindh irrigation authorities would have to wait for early June review meeting of Irsa to change the Kharif management plan but till such time 2.1maf water would already have been consumed by the two provinces because this allocation was for early Kharif period (from April 1 to June 10).

The Irsa chairman had told reporters after the advisory committee meeting on April 9 that Sindh had agreed to distribution of water on the basis of historic uses and that water should not be wasted downstream Kotri, minor quantities of around 2maf water going down that area should be shared between the two provinces on the basis of shares envisaged under para-2 of the accord.

The Sindh irrigation department had, however, disputed this statement and claimed to have insisted on distribution of water purely on the basis of shares given in the water accord.

Sindh has been demanding that at least 10maf water should reach downstream Kotri to meet marine life and drinking water needs there. All stakeholders accept that some water should reach downstream Kotri but differ on the exact quantities. Two separate studies are currently under way to determine as to how much water should reach downstream Kotri.