There is a lot of confusion about water release below Kotri for protection of the Indus delta. Clause 7 of the Water Accord states: “The need for certain minimum water flow to sea, below the Kotri to check sea intrusion was recognised. Sindh held the view that the optimum level was 10 MAF, which was discussed at length. It was, therefore, decided that further studies would be undertaken to establish the minimal release needs for Kotri.” The federal government launched three studies in October 2004. The first study was on water required below the Kotri to check sea intrusion. The second was on water flow required blow the Kotri to address Sindh’s environmental concerns and the third study was on environmental concerns of all four provinces.
These studies were entrusted to consultancy firms of international repute. A panel consisting of Dr Fernando J Gonzalez, the ex-regional director of World Bank, Dr Thinus Basson, a professor and consultant with various US universities, and Dr Bert Schultz, a Dutch national and world renowned consultant on irrigation and drainage, conducted these studies and finalised the recommendations. The panel recommended that 5,000 cusecs per day or 3.6 million acre feet (MAF) of water annually will be required to flow below the Kotri Barrage to stop seawater intrusion, contrary to Sindh’s demand of 10 MAF annually.
The recommendation would require an additional release from storages of 1.26 maf to 2.20 maf, depending on the weather, during the low flow months of September to middle of June. This would require additional storage capacity to prevent reduction in water availability for irrigation use. This means that unless additional storage capacity is available the required release below Kotri cannot be made.
ENGR KHURSHID ANWER
Lahore
I am very sorry to read your letter. You are continuously trying to complicate the issue. The socalled Survey after long period of 13 years itself speaks the malefide intentions of notorious WAPDA who was responsible to arrange the Survey. The question is why Sindh was not taken on board regarding socalled Surveys. On the contrary, Sindh got survey at its own through an international organization that recommended release of at least 10 maf. IUCN – an organization of international repute has also conducted survey at their own and they recommended 32 to 35 maf release of water downstream Kotri in Sindh.
It was agreed for release of limited water downstream Kotri by all concerned in Water Accord – 1991, but after 22 years of signing the Accord, it was not implemented resulting in ruination of Indus delta – the sixth largest in the world in addition to emerging environmental human tragedy besides leaving 2.6 million people living at area between Kotri and Arabian Sea to die from hunger and thirst.
The release of limited water downstream was MANDATORY. It should be released in any case. Why do you want to see human tragedy and disaster in Sindh? Your contention that till new dams are built, water downstream Kotri can not be released, this is totally unacceptable in view of human tragedy that is emerging. What do you want? Perhaps you want to see the whole Sindh to be converted into desert and 2.6 million should die due to hunger and thirst. I am very sorry about your mentality and socalled arguments.
Please remember 2.6 million people who are dying from hunger and thirst they are human beings, Muslims and Pakistanis.
I request Organizations working for Human Rights to take notice of such efforts to find socalled justification for non release of water downstream Kotri.
Plz tell me lives of 2.6 million people, saving Indus delta and avoiding enviormental human tragedy are more important or “reduction of water” is water is more important?
Mr Sial does not understand the mechanism whereby water can be released for the delta. Sufficient flow takes place below Kotri from middle of June to end of August. Additional water will need to be released from the dams during the low flow months of September to middle of June. However, the water stored in the dams is sufficient only to meet the irrigation requirements of the whole country. Does Mr Sial want that water should be taken away from irrigation and given to the delta. Storage will have to be increased even if 3.6 maf is to be spared for the delta. It will be impossible to increase storage to the extent that 10 maf can be spared. It is easy to talk about 10 maf but not so easy to accomplish.
Mr Khurshid Anwer. Please try to understand that when it was agreed by all to release limited water downstream Kotri to save Indus delta, avoid environmental disaster and meet mandatory requirements of 2.6 million people living at area between Kotri and Arabian Sea in Sindh and IRSA responsible for distribution of water was later found. Therefore, release the water downstream Kotri is mandatory requirement and it should be given priority. Your arguments are unacceptable. On one hand you are crying for South Punjab but on the other hand you have turned the table against 2.6 million people because they are living in Sindh.
You say that the delta has priority over the irrigation requirements of the country then why is IRSA not releasing water from the dams for the delta, because there already is a 24% shortage for Kharif sowing and a 40% shortage for Rabi sowing, obviously IRSA feels it cannot add to these shortages by releasing water for the delta, the cultivators, also in Sindh, object even when IRSA releases water for power generation, the only solution is to increase supplies by building more dams, we need both Bhasha dam and Kalabagh dam, until then the situation at the delta will keep getting worse.
Punjab with male fide intention is not allowing to release water downstream Kotri despite it was agreed in Water Accord – 1991 after passing 23 years, it is not being implemented so far. You want to built notorious Kalabagh dam in Punjab in any case to control water meant for Sindh. So all dramas are being staged for this purpose.
Notorious Kalabagh dam is not acceptable as 3 out of four provincial Assemblies have already passed 10 resolutions against it. It is very said Punjab is not sincere to implement relevant Articles of Water Accord – 1991 which are in favour of Sindh.
Comments are closed.