Irrigation supplies have been static at 104 million acre feet since long while the demand has gone on increasing. None of this water can be diverted to other uses without seriously affecting national agricultural output.
It is obvious that any additional water for any province or for the Indus delta will have to come from a new storage and not from the reservoirs at Managla and Tarbela dams, hence the need for a Water Apportionment Accord to try and develop consensus on Kalabagh dam, the only dam ready to build at that time.
The increase in Sindh’s share to 37% in all future dams was very much subject to the construction of a new dam. Similarly any increase in the escapage below Kotri was also subject to the construction of a new dam.
It does not make sense to demand more water for the Indus delta just because the Water Accord had been signed. Even the 37% and 14% share for Punjab and KPK are subject to the construction of Kalabagh dam with its left and right bank canals.
PM Nawaz Sharif did not initiate the Water Accord just to increase Sindh’s share in all future dams by reducing Punjab’s share. This needs to be understood before the millions can be saved by building Kalabagh dam.
ENGR KHURSHID ANWER
Lahore
