HYDERABAD, Dec 27: Sindh Irrigation Minister Sardar Nadir Akmal Leghari on Wednesday rejected Balochistan's claim that Sindh was withholding its share of water and said that instead the province had provided it more than its share.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a workshop in the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET), the minister said that Balochistan’s demand for compensation was unjustified as both the provinces were part of a federation and it would not be fair if either started claiming compensation.

In that case, he said, Sindh could also claim compensation for unavailability of water. "Neither NWFP nor Balochistan, it is Sindh which faced shortage," he said.

Mr Leghari claimed that there was no change in Sindh’s stance on Kalabagh Dam. "We have our own stand over Kalabagh Dam and chief minister has also spoken on the issue," he said adding that Gen Pervez Musharraf would take into consideration Sindh's concerns.

He said that a study conducted by foreign consultants and approved later by all the four chief ministers and ministers of irrigation in a meeting had had put down in minute details every thing about water usages and share. It had also formulated a proper methodology about dry or wet season. "We have achieved more than our expectations," he said.

He said that the report had properly addressed the issues of environmental damage, sea intrusion and restoration of delta. In preparing the report the foreign consultants had met with Sindh's experts who had prepared their own terms of reference, he said.

Mr. Leghari informed that a $150 million World Bank funded Water Sector Improvement Programme (WSIP) would be launched in a month or two in Sindh about barrages' modernisation, environmental damage, pollution control, release of sewage into channels in the cities, improvement of irrigation and upgradation of LBOD.

He said that Right Bank Outfall Drain (RBOD) project-III had also been approved by the president. RBOD-II would be connected with RBOD-III, which carried effluent of Balochistan and these drains would dispose of saline water into the sea, he said.

"I am not responsible for Manchhar’s destruction. The RBOD project was facing some legal hitches and now the work on it has kicked off and Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) is executing the project,” he said.

He said that corruption charges involving RBOD were being properly handled and a revenue officer had been appointed to take care of land acquisition matters. The RBOD was a Rs30 billion project which had its due importance, he said.