ISLAMABAD, Oct 2: A meeting of the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) advisory committee will convene on Tuesday to consider Sindh’s demand for implementation of the 1991 water accord for sharing of water shortages and to approve distribution and management plan for the Rabi season.

The meeting, to be presided over by Irsa Chairman Aman Gul Khattak, would be attended by all its members, provincial irrigation secretaries and representatives of Wapda, Nespak, federal flood commission and the Met Office.

Sources said the advisory committee would approve water availability for the Rabi season estimated by the technical committee at 17 per cent last week. They said Punjab has estimated a shortage at 22 per cent, at 19 per cent by Irsa, 18 per cent by Wapda and less than 17 per cent by Sindh for Rabi season.

The sources said the minutes of the Irsa technical committee meeting last week, which have been sent to the provinces, has confirmed that Sindh had formally demanded restoration of distribution of water shortages on the basis of para-2 of the 1991 water accord instead of historical annual average uses of 1977-82.

However, the technical committee had decided to leave the question of water distribution to the advisory committee meeting next week following submission of water withdrawal plans by the provinces.

The difference in case of distribution of water under para-2 of the 1991 accord or under ministerial decision of 1994 was minimal in the Rabi season but the decision has a longstanding political significance ahead of government’s preparations for the construction of bid dams.

Under ministerial decision of 1994, water distribution in case of shortage is made on the basis of historic annual average uses of 1977-82 that favours Punjab. Para-2 of the 1991 accord envisages distribution of provincial shares on the basis of well defined quantities.

The total water availability at rim station was assessed by the technical committee at 31 million acre feet (MAF) for Rabi 2005-06. Water requirement according to tentative provincial plans has been estimated at 34.67 MAF. Total water availability in Rabi envisaged in water accord is about 37 MAF.

The Rabi season will begin with carryover water storage of 10.38 MAF. The upcoming Rabi season’s water shortage at 17 per cent is comparatively lower than 39 per cent shortage last year and about 49 per cent shortage recorded during the same season in 2003-04.