Massive water theft in system detected: Billions of rupees' loss feared
By Ahmad Fraz Khan
LAHORE, June 14: Seven million acre feet of water went missing from the distribution system between April 1 to June 10 if statistics of the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) are to be believed.
According to Irsa projections, the country was supposed to get 23.48maf water during the period under review. It had forecast 2.26maf transmission losses and hoped that 21.22maf would be available for irrigation.
During this period, the country received 23.43maf water, which is only 0.05maf less than the Irsa prediction. But the transmission losses went up to 9.02maf, the highest in the history of the country, taking shortage to 40 per cent against earlier predicted 11 per cent.
Historically, the country has never suffered transmission losses of more than 20 per cent. This unprecedented high losses during early kharif are threatening cotton and paddy crops. If the final yield of both the crops suffers as much as the farmers fear, the country may suffer a loss of billions of rupees in exports.
According to Irsa sources, the authority, in its June 2 meeting, noted the quantum of losses and reasons behind it. It thought that losses are caused by either normal seepage or wrong reporting at the barrages. But both these factors cannot cause such unprecedented losses.
The third possibility is stated to be pilferage. The Irsa formed a three-member committee to physically inspect all barrages and also re-check mode of calculations at them. The committee was told to submit report within 15 days. Unfortunately, the committee is yet to start its work as members are unable to meet and undertake such a huge task.
The government, on its part, is reluctant to involve third party like Wapda or army for running these barrages in the presence of Irsa, and the country continues to suffer.
The extra loss of these 7maf has not only delayed cotton sowing and is now threatening paddy crop, but has also kept dams almost to dead levels. On Monday, the Tarbela dam was at 1365 feet whereas it was at 1,403 feet on the corresponding day last year.
Similarly, the Mangla dam has started falling in the month of filling. On Monday, it was 1119 feet against 1158 feet last year on the same day. Commenting on the situation, Jehangir Khan Tareen, a member of Parliamentary Committee, said primitive methods of Irsa could hardly meet modern needs of the country.
To add to the problem, water has literally become an issue of life and death for the country. The archaic method of Irsa is only accentuating an already complex problem.
"It is still to modernise itself in spite of telemetry system in the country. It must try to develop a system where it could get real time data on water issuance, transmission and delivery. But it has ignored all these things in favour of manual system that creates more doubts than solving them," he said.
"The Irsa, in its present form, will cause more pains to everyone with a stake in water issue. This kind of water losses could cause national calamities. It must be looked into very scrupulously to determine the reasons behind and take corrective measures. But the fact remains that it has happened right under the Irsa's nose," he regretted.
