According to a news item in the press, Sindh irrigation minister has accused Punjab of stealing water from the Indus. What he is saying is that IRSA (with a much higher representation from Sindh compared to Punjab), is conniving with Punjab to steal Sindh’s water. Does he mean that the 25 percent increase in Indus flow post-Tarbela was only for Sindh? That Punjab has no share in this increase.
He does not even know that IRSA (weighted heavily in favour of Sindh), is presently allocating 1,21,000 cusecs to Sindh against 1,03,000 cusecs for Punjab. Despite Punjab having 70 percent of the total cropped area of Pakistan as against 17 percent for Sindh. And despite Punjab bearing 80 percent of the agriculture load for the whole country.
This is the kind of ignorance which is holding up the development of the water infrastructure of the country at the cost of the 18 crore people of Pakistan.
KHURSHID ANWER
Lahore