KARACHI, Aug 23: Muttahida Qaumi Movement legislators on Monday criticized the 11 per cent reduction in water supply to Sindh as announced by the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) and termed it 'injustice with small provinces'.

In a statement, they pointed out that on Aug 17, the Authority had announced 10 per cent reduction in water supply to Sindh and from Aug 23, the actual reduction appeared to be 11 per cent.

Apprehending a negative impact of the move, they said that the reduction would add to the already short supply that was badly affecting agriculture acreage and yield due to the paucity of water in the river system, turning the province into a desert.

The supply had been curtailed despite an increase in water levels in Tarbela and Mangla reservoirs, they said, and accused the Irsa management of discriminating against the smaller provinces. They appealed to Prime Minister Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain to take serious notice of the Authority's highhandedness.

With regard to the alleged plot against the MQM, the legislators maintained that the agencies, despite hatching conspiracies, would not succeed in further fragmenting the MQM.

They said that although the MQM chief Altaf Hussain had warned against such conspiracies, the government had taken no measures against conspirators. They described it as a matter of grave concern to them. The MQM legislators called upon President Musharraf to take serious notice of such conspiracies.