KARACHI, Dec 17: Former chairman of the now defunct Technical Committee on Water Resources Mr A. N. G. Abbasi has called for evolving regulations for filling and operating future reservoirs and link canals before embarking upon more such projects.
He was delivering the keynote lecture on water issues organised by the Pakistan People’s Party at the People’s Secretariat here on Saturday. The sitting was chaired by President of the PPP-Parliamentarians Makhdoom Amin Fahim.
Mr Abbasi, who is known for his expertise on the issues, said that the Water Accord-1991 was not being implemented, especially in the case of Mangla filling during shortage. “If rules of the game are worked out before the construction of dams and canals and it is assured that there will be no shortage of water in the existing canals and water deficit areas, and if rules of the game are accepted and abided by, only then the misgivings and apprehensions can be removed.”
Mr Abbasi extensively deliberated upon the availability of water and future needs, filling criteria of Mangla and operational criteria and regulation of future reservoirs and canals, silting of the existing dams and their needs, as well as the future requirements.
He seemed to be at variance with many of the government claims on water needs and priorities, and said that since all future dams were planned to be raised on River Indus, it would be a permanent burden, especially if the water was diverted on a permanent basis through link canals.
Referring to operational criteria of future reservoirs, Mr Abbasi maintained that the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) and Wapda had not given any proposal for operational criteria for future reservoirs. Irsa had stated that operation of future reservoirs will be done in accordance with the hydrology of river and availability of water keeping in view the recommendations of the Irsa Advisory Committee. Wapda had stated that the future reservoirs will be operated considering the irrigation needs, power generation requirements and sediment flushing.
He pointed out that as rules of the game were not being observed and water accord was not being implemented, Mangla reservoir was filled even when sever shortage of 60 per cent was faced.
Recognising that the country was confronted with water shortage and that Chenab and Jhelum were early rising rivers, Mr Abbasi insisted that whatever may be the case, first the requirements of the existing canals must be fulfilled. “You cannot fill the reservoir when there is a shortage in canals,” he argued.
He claimed that Irsa had been set up for the implementation of water accord but it was not being done. He called for making the elements responsible for this accountable. He pointed out that Punjab was getting water according to its full allocations, even during the shortage, while the NWFP and Balochistan were exempted. Only the lower riparian Sindh had to face the shortages. He maintained that those who were enjoying exemptions and full benefits, even during shortages, had no justification to be part of Irsa.
It may be pointed out that as a consequence of Water Treaty 1960, inter-river link canals have been constructed as replacement works under the Indus Basin Replacement Plan. These sustain and support canals irrigated lands from those old canals whose prece head-waters/river-water sources came under Indian control. Their operational criteria and flow has been laid down in their design reports.
Referring to the reports, Mr Abbasi said that considering the pattern of water availability in the Western Rivers, no surplus water was available for season to season transfer (Kharif to Rabi) of the same year, after construction of Mangla and Tarbela dams. However, large quantities of surplus water for storage were available only in occasional flood years. These surplus flows are of higher magnitude but lesser frequency. This water can only be stored in carryover dam of high capacity. If any conventional dam of lower capacity (i.e. about 6.0 MAF) is constructed, it can trap only about 20 per cent of surplus flood water.
The lower tributary areas linked to the Indus through CJ and TP links, he said, should not be treated as permanent burden on the Indus main. If this unrealistic proposition is adhered to, the proposals for constructing new reservoirs on River Indus will be in serious jeopardy, because there will remain no surplus water for storage in the Indus main.
Jhelum and Chenab rivers have adequate water in Kharif season both for upper and lower tributary areas as well as for storage in Mangla dam, (even after their raising) and, therefore, transfer of water through these links in Kharif season is not needed under normal conditions.
According to Mr Abbasi, the feasibility study of the only available site of carryover dam (i.e. Skardu/Katzarah) has not yet been started. Prefeasibility study of this dam was started in 2003 and is expected to be completed by September 2005. It is important that the feasibility of this dam is given high priority and it is completed within 2years, because only this carryover dam can trap maximum out of the available flood waters (about 84 per cent).
The feasibility studies of Kalabagh Dam and Bhasha Dam are available. The feasibility study of Kalabagh Dam was prepared in the year 1984It, therefore, requires updating, particularly with regard to the cost estimates and the reservoir filling study which was done in 1988 on preaccord scenario.
While framing rules of the game before the construction of new reservoirs is under taken, it must be ensured that priority will be given to those areas which are facing water shortage, before filling the reservoir.
In reply to a question, he said that Pakistan must enter into a water-sharing agreement with Afghanistan because about 25 per cent of the water in Indus main is provided by River Kabul, on which Afghanistan is contemplating to build a major dam. He, nevertheless, said that international law pertaining to water sharing would apply as long as the two countries did not strike a deal in this regard. He said that there were two views about seismic condition of the Kalabagh Dam site.
He also dealt with the impact of flow of water into the sea and said that only during few years it had been significant. Mr Abbasi also raised the question that how the reservoirs would be filled as the country was facing long draught periods.
