The Water Accord was specifically entered into to develop consensus on Kalabagh dam. It could not have allotted 37 and 14 percent shares to Punjab and KP without providing for these shares to be utilised through the left and right bank canals at Kalabagh dam.
River water distribution was taken away from Wapda and entrusted to a new federal body IRSA. Provinces could only raise ten-day indents of their requirements to IRSA and would have no direct control over the supply to their canals. No province could take the water of another province.
Sindh’s share was increased in all future dam by decreasing Punjab’s share. Equal share for both despite the vast difference between population and area under cultivation.
A monitoring team of engineers from the Sindh irrigation department was posted at major head works of Punjab. They communicate daily with their head office and have not reported any misappropriation to date. The right bank canal at Kalabagh dam ensured supply of water from the Indus to KP without which KP will never get any water from any dam on the Indus.
It can be seen that a very sincere effort was made to make the Water Accord acceptable to all the provinces. For Sindh to reject the Accord and Kalabagh dam because of some past grievances does not make sense when the dam is clearly a win-win position for all.
ENGR KHURSHID ANWER
Lahore
Sir, an editorial is requested on this topic to tell the people that the Accord provides all the checks and balances to safeguard the rights of the smaller provinces
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