LAHORE, March 14: The Punjab government on Thursday decided to close down all its canals and gift inflows of Indus, Jehlum and Chenab rivers to Sindh.

Lt Gen Khalid Maqbool, the Punjab governor, took this decision on the instruction of President Pervez Musharraf and “with a sense of sacrifice for Sindhi brothers. “ According to the decision, the Punjab will close down all its canals from Friday and let all the river flows go to Sindh.

On Thursday, these river inflows were in access to 48,000 cusecs with Indus river at Tarbela flowing at 13,300 cusecs, Jehlum at Mangla 17,600 cusecs, Chenab at Marala 8,700 cusecs and Kabul at Nowshera 8,800 cusecs.

According to the plan, the Punjab will not use any water from river inflows for the next 16 days (till March 31) in order to facilitate sowing of cotton in Sindh. It will, however, start drawing a supply of 5,000 cusecs from April 1 to help sowing of cotton in Layya and Muzaffargrah districts. The province will resume to full share from 15th April.

An official of the Punjab government said Punjab had also expressed this gesture, but this time it would take its full share from April 15 for the cotton crop. He said last year it delayed resumption to full share till May 1 and the province suffered. Mangla dam starts filling by March 20.