ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the Senate standing committee on water resources chaired by Senator Shamim Afridi on Monday pondered over issues of water scarcity particularly in Sindh and Balochistan.
He stated that the Indus Water Apportionment Accord of 1991 was signed when he was Sindh chief minister in 1991.
He asserted that the accord emphasised on the need to check sea intrusion and ensure minimum escapage below Kotri.
He showed displeasure and questioned Indus River System Authority (IRSA) about the reasond why the study had not been conducted in the last 28 years.
He stated that Sindh has suffered miserably as a result of this delay and almost 31 billion acres of land has been destroyed in Thatta and Badin due to sea intrusion.
He asserted that the committee be informed of how many cusecs of water was available in the system during the months of March, April and May and the amount of water that had been delegated to Sindh.
He suggested that Chairman WAPDA must conceive two dams for Balochistan so that the acute water shortage issue is addressed in the province.
Retired Senator Jan Jamali, who was specially invited, was of the view that in the near future only a water secure country would be a food secure country.
Wapda, IRSA directed to submit replies Chairman Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Muzammil Hussain said that the questions raised by the committee did not pertain to either of the agencies present, and were political and policy issues that IRSA and WAPDA being executing agencies do not have the power to address.
The committee chairman directed Chairman WAPDA to send his recommendations at the earliest, and also directed IRSA officers to answer the queries raised by Senator Muzaffar Hussain Shah within ten days.