Sindh, Balochistan at loggerheads over water issue: The News, July 16

KHAIRPUR: The irrigation minsters of Sindh and Balochistan met in Sukkur on Wednesday for resolving the water issue.

The Balochistan Minster Irrigation, Sardar Aslam Khan Bizenjo, Excise Minster Rustam Khan Jamali and MNA Mir Changez Khan made it clear upon the Sindh minster that they would stop the water supply from the Hub River if Sindh government did not release 400 cusecs Balochistan water.

They alleged that the Sindh Irrigation Department was not releasing the due share of Balochistan water into the Saifullah Mangsi Canal from Ghirungh Regulator of the Khairthar Canal. They said Balochistan had approached the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) on this issue. They said the people of Balochistan had already been deprived of their basic rights and they were under the threat of poverty.

Sindh Irrigation Minster Syed Murad Ali Shah said the Punjab was stealing 1,700 cusecs water of Sindh from the Chashma Canal. “We have decided to form a technical committee, comprising irrigation officials, who are inspecting the canals and measuring the water gauge and later the committee would forward its recommendation to the irrigation ministries.”

He said issues of provincial autonomy and the NFC would be tackled on multiple resources base and not on the population base. He said Balochistan, Sindh and the NWFP provinces had a consensus over that formula.

The Sindh irrigation minster said there was complete harmony between Balochistan and Sindh provincial governments and inter-provincial minsters of both provinces were trying their level best to bilaterally resolve the issues. Later, both ministers inspected the Sukkur Barrage. http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=188330