Sindh stages walk out form IRSA Advisory Committee meeting
IRSA Water Distribution
ISLAMABAD Oct 01,2021- The Advisory Committee, Sindh and IRSA (Indus River System Authority) officials face each other at a meeting which culminated in chaos, while water distribution on three tier formula could not be approved.
Sindh staged walkout, hence the IRSA advisory committee meeting ended without any decision on water availability in Kharif season.
According to reports, Sindh strongly protested and staged walk out of the IRSA (Indus River System Authority) Advisory Committee meeting, saying that the committee had made up mind to implement the three-tier water distribution formula between four federating units during the Rabi season (October 1, 2021, March 31, 2022), to suspend the Water Sharing Agreement 1991 and the IRSA Act.
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However, the IRSA Advisory Committee, headed by Secretary Irrigation Punjab Saif Anjum, who is also the chairman of the authority, adjourned the meeting without any decision and it has been decided that the committee will meet again on Tuesday (October 5).
The meeting had a heated discussion on the implementation of the three-tier formula between Sindh and the other three federating units, namely Punjab, KPK and Balochistan.
Sindh insisted on its demand for water distribution during the Rabi season under paragraph 2 of the water agreement, saying that the three-tier formula was not part of the agreement.
Sindh’s team insisted that water distribution for Rabi should be done under para 2, i.e. 37pc of available water each to Punjab and Sindh and 12 and 14pc to Balochistan and KP, respectively. Sindh also demanded that water shortage should be applicable to Balochistan and KP and they should not be exempt from cuts.
It was also explained that Sindh had already moved a reference to the Council of Common Interests (CCI) on the subject and should wait for the outcome.
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