ISLAMABAD, June 10; The Indus River System Authority on Thursday decided through a majority vote not to compensate Sindh for its water shortages. Irsa also decided to distribute the prevailing 30 per cent water shortage between Sindh and Punjab on an equal basis.

As things stand, Punjab and Sindh are facing water shortages of 28 and 38 per cent, respectively. The authority's meeting was presided over by Irsa chairman Abdul Rahim Zarkun and attended by members of Punjab and the NWFP.

The federal government was represented by chief engineering adviser I.B. Sheikh and Sindh by irrigation adviser Shuja Junejo. Irsa secretary Sohail Ali Khan told reporters the meeting discussed ways of compensating Sindh for over 10 per cent less share it was receiving, compared with Punjab.

Sindh demanded that 6,000 cusecs per day additional water available to it in the last 10 days should be continued for the next 10 days so that the difference of shortage between the two provinces could be bridged. The chief engineering adviser, representing the federal government, supported Sindh's demand.

Punjab said that there was an overall shortage of water in the country that had already created a crisis-like situation and Punjab was also facing a shortage. Hence, Sindh should not be given additional water in the next 10 days, it demanded.

The issue was put to a vote and it was decided through a 3-2 majority that Sindh, which was being given 6,000 cusecs per day additional water from a joint account, must no longer receive the extra share. Now Punjab will get 3,500 cusecs of water from the joint account while Sindh will get its 2,500 cusecs per day share.

About the filling of the Mangla Dam, Sindh demanded that either it should also be given water from Mangla, or Punjab's share be increased from Mangla and decreased proportionately from the Tarbela Indus system. This proposal was rejected.