26 February 2004	Thursday	05 Muharram 1425

LAHORE, Feb 25: The Punjab would neither surrender its share of water nor lay claim to the share of other provinces. This was the unanimous resolve of the treasury and opposition benches in the Punjab Assembly while discussing shortage of water and its impact on the province on Wednesday.

Irrigation Minister Amir Sultan Cheema assured the house that the Punjab would not surrender its share in the Feb 26 IRSA meeting. "Shortage of water should be equally shared by the provinces."

He dispelled the impression that the meeting had been convened to sign an agreement that would deal a blow to the Punjab's stand on the issue. He said the two committees formed by the federal government on the issue of new reservoirs would submit their reports by June next. A decision that which dam should be taken up first would be taken on the basis of that report, he added.

He said the country needed five new dams to meet future requirements. Though the subject fell under the purview of the federal government, the provincial assembly forward its recommendations.

The Punjab, he said, was against water releases downstream Kotri from July to September. Opening the discussion, parliamentary secretary Malik Ahmad Khan quoted statistics showing cut in water share of the province since 1903. He said if the government did not check the trend, the effect of water shortage on the Punjab would be visible by 2007.

The Punjab government, he said, had signed the 1991 water accord under the impression that Kalabagh dam would be constructed by 1998. "The dam was not constructed but water apportionment on the basis of the agreement started immediately," he added.

Muzammil Abbasi criticized the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, saying the Pakistan government surrendered 32maf water to India which needed only 9maf at that time. The remaining water of Ravi, Sutlej and Beas should have been equally divided between the two countries, he added.

The former Bahawalpur state suffered due to the treaty as its fertile land turned barren, he continued. He argued that the NoC for the construction of Kalabagh dam should have been sought from the districts falling in the former state instead of Sindh or any other province.He said if the Sindhis could seek water to save their ecosystem, why the people of Bahawalpur could not do so when environment of their area had been devastated by the treaty.

Fazal Sumra said south Punjab suffered loss due to floods in the Indus but the region was being deprived of the advantages of the river. He vowed to move the Supreme Court if southern Punjab was not allowed to benefit from the Indus waters.