IRSA decided by a majority of votes to divert Indus water into the Chenab zone by cutting Sindh’s indent by 5,000 cusecs, though the chairperson, who hails from Sindh, opposed the proposal on the grounds that water going downstream Kotri was not coming through the Indus system but from Nai Gaj and the Manchar lake owing to recent rains.

Water distribution in Pakistan is an enigma. The Indus River System Authority was established to ensure equitable distribution of water in accordance with the 1991 Water Accord. It consists of one member from each province and a member from the federal government, the chairpersonship to be rotated among the members every year. There is a general misconception that these members are representatives of their nominating governments. The fact is that IRSA is a federal body and its members are not provincial representatives. They work together as a federal team and take decisions on merit. Respective irrigation secretaries present the provincial viewpoints to IRSA. Therefore, terming of an opinion of the member from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the KP formula or the agreement or disagreement of members from Sindh or Punjab as the provincial position is not correct.
It can rather lead to discord and confusion in public minds. Coming back to the issue under discussion, it should be borne in mind that total water available in the Indus basin is released to the provinces in accordance with their allocated shares based on their 10-day demands. It means that if any province needs more or less water during any 10-day period, it will be debited or credited to its account and adjusted subsequently. In other words, its annual allocation remains intact.
Also, there is a requirement for a certain quantity of water to be allowed to flow downstream of Kotri Barrage to meet the environmental needs.
If by a good chance, this water is available through rains, it goes to Sindh’s advantage to save its share from the Indus water for a drier period. Therefore, in the present case, the viewpoint of the chairperson was faulty and misleading because neither Sindh’s share would be reduced nor would the water available from outside the Indus basin be accounted for in its share.
FAQIR AHMED PARACHA,
Peshawar, July 30.