ISLAMABAD: The Indus River System Authority has cut down the water share of Sindh and Punjab due to an “excessive” shortage of water in the country.
According to a statement released by IRSA, after the reduction in water share, Punjab is getting 83,000 cusecs of water, while Sindh is being provided 74,000 cusecs of water.
The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by the IRSA chairman to review water distribution among provinces.
Due to prevailing limited storage available in reservoirs and tumbling river inflows it was inevitable to apply cut on provincial shares, the water body said in a statement.
The ISRA spokesperson in a statement has expressed hope that the water situation in rivers would improve in the next 48/72 hours.
The ongoing tug of war between the IRSA members from Sindh and Punjab over water distribution has touched a new high over the opening of TP link canal from Indus at a time when the low riparian federating units are craving for water even for drinking purpose
Sindh Irrigation Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal yesterday also met with Prime Minister Imran Khan here in Islamabad. During the meeting, matters related to water shortage and the IRSA were discussed.
Sindh minister in the meeting had compliant to the prime minister about the unfair distribution of water by IRSA among provinces.
“IRSA not giving Sindh its due share of water. TP link canal was opened despite objection from 3 provinces,” Siyal told PM Imran.
The Sindh government previously claimed that the province had been denied its due share of water with Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari blaming theft of water from canals in Punjab.
He had also slammed the federal government for opening the Taunsa-Panjnad link canal amid extreme shortage of water in Sindh.
