Achi news desk-
ISLAMABAD: After the Indus Rivers Authority (URSA) warned that the country could face a water shortage of up to 30 percent in the Kharif season due to the failure of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) to decommission the Tarbela, several cash crops ready under threat.
According to the IRSA Advisory Committee (IAC), the water deficit of 30% in the early kharif season will reduce to 7% later. However, if WAPDA fails to meet the production limits of Tarbela Dam, the situation may worsen in the early kharif season with a negative impact on cotton and rice seeds in Sindh.
The development came after IRSA Chairman Abdul Hameed Mengal chaired an IAC meeting, attended by five IRSA members, the secretaries of the provincial irrigation departments of the four states and other officials, which approved the expected water availability criteria from April to 2024. It was held meeting to approve them.
An official from the provincial irrigation department told the publication, “During early kharif from April 1 to June 10, water will not be available for drainage under Kotri which is necessary to prevent sea intrusion into Sindh’s agricultural land.”
The official further said that since 1956, around 3.5 million acres of agricultural land in Sindh has been destroyed during sea intrusion due to non-availability of water discharges below Kotri.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Sindh opposed water allocation under the three-tier formula and demanded implementation of the 1991 Water Treaty and its paragraph 2 for 4-5 MAF (million acre feet) of water.
However, IRSA maintained that the matter is pending with the CCI (Council of Common Interests) and therefore a three-tier formula is currently being used for distribution of water among states.
