Current Issues, Islamabad, Pakistan, Politics, Punjab, Sindh

‘Downstream Kotri’

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By: M Khan Sial, Karachi, Sindh

This refers to letter of Choudhry Hamid Malhi, Lahore (Aug 7) headlined above.

It was unfair to claim the so-called study of downstream Kotri was conducted by WAPDA in 2005, had approval of Sindh government. First of all, what was justification for WAPDA to delay the already agreed important survey for long period of 14 years of signing the Accord? This shows the malafide intentions of WAPDA against Sindh and as such WAPDA should clarify the reasons for delay and fix responsibility for this?

It was on record, the Sindh government had rejected the said so-called survey conducted by WAPDA as Sindh govt was not taken on board. Attending one or two meetings if any, does not mean, its decision had Sindh Government’s final approval.

If there is any approval of the so-called survey by Sindh government, WAPDA should release the copy of the agreement in media showing signatures of all concerned.

Later, the Sindh government had arranged survey through an international organisation as its own and as per media, it was recommended to release at least 10 MAF water annually downstream Kotri whereas internationally organised IUCN had also conducted the survey separately that recommended release of 32 to 35 MAF water annually as mandatory requirement. It was claimed that in WAPDA’s survey even it was agreed that 25 MAF water to be released within five years, but till today the said water was not released leaving Indus delta to ruin completely.

Malhi’s claim that downstream Kotri flows cannot be made available at the cost of current irrigation supplies and could only be possible if water availability increases by construction of new dams, is unacceptable for the simple reason that Water Accord – 1991 was signed in 1991 whereas IRSA came in being about 10-11 years later to regulate the water distribution. If IRSA did not allocate the water in view of Punjab’s bitter opposition so far, they should now correct its past blunder and release the required water in order to save Indus delta, meet mandatory requirements of 2.6 million people and avoid environmental disaster in Sindh.

Courtesy: The Frontier Post

http://www.thefrontierpost.com/article/176834/

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