QUETTA, July 16: Balochistan Governor Zulfiqar Ali Magsi has expressed concerns over non-release of his province’s share of water from the Indus and directed the chief secretary to take up the issue with the Sindh government immediately.

Presiding over a meeting here on Monday, the governor said that with the delay in releasing water share from Indus river, the rice crop standing on thousands of acres in Balochistan would be destroyed.

The chief secretary, additional chief secretary and planning and development and irrigation secretaries attended the meeting.

“I will talk to President Asif Zardari and the prime minister for resolving the issue,” Mr Magsi said, adding that the growers would face a serious financial crisis if their crops were affected adversely.

He said the sense of deprivation among the people of Balochistan would increase further if due water share of water was denied to their province.

The governor was informed that at present Balochistan was receiving water from Indus River less then its due share. “Pat Feeder Canal is receiving 500 cusecs less water from its quota, Khirthar Canal 850 cusecs, Uch Canal 150 cusecs and Mewthi Canal 55 cusecs,” an official of the irrigation department told the meeting.

Mr Magsi directed the irrigation department to give attention to increasing water reservoirs, instead of wasting money on pipelines.

“The projects of Mangi Dam and Ankra Kour Dam should be implemented,” he said, adding that the problem of water shortage in Gwadar should be resolved immediately.