18 August 2004	Wednesday	01 Rajab 1425

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 17: The Indus River System Authority on Tuesday decided to impose a 10 per cent cut on provincial water shares for the remaining period of the Kharif season and projected that water might not be available in dams for the Rabi season.

"The water crisis has worsened and Irsa has opted to provide maximum water to the current Kharif crops, albeit with a 10 per cent cut on provincial water shares," a participant of the Irsa advisory committee meeting told Dawn.

The meeting, presided over by Irsa Chairman Rahim Khan Zarkun, requested the federal government "to announce offering of Namaaz-i-Istasqa," notwithstanding over 60mm of rains during the last fortnight.

Irsa proposed that either the provincial shares be cut by 21 per cent, leaving two million acre feet to 2.6 million acre feet of water in the reservoirs for the Rabi season, or impose a 10 per cent cut, in which case water might not be available for the coming season.

Punjab's representatives demanded that current crops should be provided maximum water but Sindh suggested that some water should be saved for the Rabi crops. The authority decided that since the standing crops were of more significance to the country's prosperity, preference should be accorded to their better yield.

It was agreed that on Sept 1 it would be finalized whether to adopt the option of using the water to ensure crop maturity. The provinces were asked to submit their indents with 10 per cent cut so that some water could be carried forward to the Rabi season in the Tarbela Dam.