ISLAMABAD, May 18: The proposed study to determine the quantity of water to be released downstream Kotri has been delayed owing to differences between Punjab and Sindh over its terms of reference.

Sources in the Indus River System Authority told Dawn on Friday that the federal government had convened a meeting of provincial irrigation secretaries on May 20 to thrash out the differences between the two provinces but that, too, has been postponed.

Officials in the water and power ministry said the meeting was postponed owing to the posting of new secretary water and power Saeedul Haq Jan.

The job was earlier being looked after by additional secretary Riaz Ahmad Khan.

The sources said that a meeting, presided over by former secretary water and power, Mirza Hamid Hassan, had decided to initiate two separate studies on how much water should go downstream Kotri to save marine life and sea intrusion.

Both the provinces were asked to prepare their separate terms of reference (TOR) for the studies.

Irsa sources said that Punjab later raised certain objections on terms of reference prepared by the Sindh irrigation department and insisted that unless these were agreed upon the EOIs should not be opened.