HYDERABAD: Sindh government urged the Indus River System Authority on Saturday “not to transfer water from Indus river to Jhelum-Chenab system through Chashma-Jhelum and Taunsa-Panjnad link canals” as another shortage has already hit Sindh’s farmlands.

The provincial government has questioned conservation (storage) of water by Irsa in dams for upcoming Rabi season at the cost of standing crops.

It has advised Irsa “to compensate the water shortage Sindh has suffered by balancing water in coming ten dailies of late Kharif in a bid to recoup the damage caused to lower riparian and to avert disaster which is in the offing”.

The government has requested Irsa chairman to provide water “to Trimmu and Panjnad canals” from Mangla dam instead of transferring water from Indus.

Sindh secretary irrigation Suhail Ahmed Qureshi said in a letter written to Irsa chairman on Aug 21 that Irsa had failed to perform its prime duty of balancing of shortages among provinces during vital period of early Kharif sowing of crops (in Sindh).

The letter, copies of which were also sent to all Irsa members, has been written in anticipation of water shortage due to recent dip in Indus river system, which is affecting Sindh more than others.

Kharif crops have been badly affected in command areas of right bank canals of Sukkur barrage. Growers could not either get water for rice cultivation or they received belated flows while survival of rice seedlings faces threats in the wake of present shortage.

The secretary said that in time of severe shortage, if Sindh was to be provided water from Mangla dam — in case Tarbella dam was depleted fully — it would lead to tremendous (water) conveyance losses that “shall be in violation of para-14(c) of Water Apportionment Accord 1991.

Sindh, it is relevant to mention here, rarely gets water from Mangla. Tarbela, the larger reservoir, feeds four provinces through its storage.

“We say Tarbela will be depleted if water is transferred from it to link canals [CJ & TP] and provinces also keep getting their share. So, it is advisable Irsa should feed canals of Trimmu and Panjnad barrages through Mangla reservoir, also a national reservoir,” contended an irrigation official on Sunday.

Sindh has been crying hoarse against water shortage since this May.

Irsa’s Sindh member Zahid Junejo had questioned opening of CJ and TP link canals in May and then the canals were closed. But they were again operated by Punjab irrigation department.

Diversion of water from Indus through link canals is done by Punjab government on the ground that Punjab lifts its share of water from “Indus river”. Sindh, however, vehemently opposes this argument, saying Punjab can’t do it through link canals.

Sindh government, in its letter, has drawn attention of Irsa’s Aug 20 correspondence under which share of Sindh downstream Chashma barrage was reduced from 133,000 cusecs on Aug 20 to merely 106,000 cusecs on Aug 21.

“This unilateral decision to reduce about 27,000 cusecs from Sindh’s share without consultation with the province has caused great resentment as water at this juncture is needed for standing crops. It is also impossible for irrigation department to manage this huge water shortage,” read the letter.

Alluding to early Kharif crops’ sowing, the secretary informed Irsa that sowing season in Sindh started a month earlier than in Punjab. At the start of Kharif 2021 from April 1, Sindh faced shortage of about 23pc with regard to Accord 1991 allocations. And soon after opening of Punjab’s canals shortages in Sindh increased tremendously. “From May 1 ten daily [water] allocation in May to second ten daily allocations of June, Sindh faced more than double the shortages than Punjab,” said the secretary.

Consequently, he said, by the end of early Kharif season (June 10) shortages faced by Sindh and Punjab stood at 35pc and 23pc, respectively, in the light of allocations under the accord.

He said this position clearly reflected that Irsa had failed to perform its prime duty of balancing of shortages among provinces during vital period of early Kharif (in Sindh).

He said that from the start of late Kharif season from second ten daily of June till its second ten daily of July, Sindh again faced more shortage than Punjab during each ten daily period. “It was only from the third ten daily [water allocations] that Sindh received equal or more water than Punjab,” he said.

The letter pointed out that due to late arrival of water and almost no rainfall drought like situation prevailed in Sindh.

The farmers’ demand for water is increasing while as of Aug 21, the flows received at Sindh barrages were not enough to meet requirements of growers in Sindh and Balochistan, especially tail-end reaches which often went without water.

He lamented that reduction in discharge for lower riparian would add fuel to the fire. “This will turn Sindh and Balochistan into desert on the one hand and on the other hand depleted level of water in Keenjhar lake won’t make it possible to cater to needs of drinking water for provincial capital [Karachi] in coming days. It may create a law and order situation in Pakistan’s largest metropolis,” the letter warned.

The secretary also highlighted the situation in southern east part of Sindh. “The situation in the southern east part of Sindh is famine like due to the fact that water level at Chotiari lake has almost dropped to dead level,” he feared.

In view of this, the secretary requested Irsa to “immediately restore water share of Sindh downstream Chashma barrage to a minimum level of 133,000 cusecs so that standing crops in Sindh and Balochistan could be saved”.

He said that conservation of water in reservoirs for upcoming Rabi at the cost of standing crops (in Sindh) was not advisable. “Sindh does not favour this illogical decision of Irsa,” he argued.

He advised that in order to recoup the damage caused to the lower riparian and to avert disaster which was in the offing Irsa was stressed to compensate the water shortage of Sindh by balancing water in coming ten dailies of late Kharif.

Meanwhile, National Assembly standing committee on water resources chairman recently demanded removal of Irsa chairman Rao Irshad on the ground that his appointment was in flagrant violation of rules considering the fact that he was 74-year-old and no member over 65 years could become member of Irsa under the law.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2021