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Centre annuls 1994 water sharing formula
ISLAMABAD - The Federal
government Wednesday dismissed the inter-ministerial decision
of 1994 water distribution among the provinces while
instructing the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) to issue a
notification in this regard, reports The Nation on July 5.
Official sources told The Nation that the IRSA has convened an
important meeting in mid-July to take new steps and future
decisions on water sharing according to the 1991 Water Accord.
The Ministry of Water and Power had conveyed this decision of
the Federal government through an official communique titled:
"Annulment of Decisions 1994 Inter-Ministerial Meeting", duly
signed by section officer of Ministry of Water and Power,
Kamran Farooq.
"The Government has reviewed the decision of 1994
Inter-Ministerial meeting and has reached the conclusion that
these decisions were taken to deal with issues of water
shortages for that particular year. Therefore, these decisions
stand annulled," reads the decision.
The Sindh, Balochistan and NWFP had been making hue and cry
for the last seven years for implementation of 1991 Water
Accord, whereas Punjab had been outrightly opposing it. "The
Punjab would be the worst hit province due to the annulment of
1994 decision," the official said.
The official source said that the decision to revive 1991
Water Accord has been taken by the President after the
provinces - Punjab and Sindh - opposed each others stand for
the last seven years on this particular issue.
It is to be mentioned here that in a meeting of IRSA on March
17, 2001, two-third voted for the implementation of 1991 Water
Accord, and since then the matter was lying pending with the
Water and Power Ministry. "The decision to this effect though
has been taken by the ministry but it has been directed by the
President's office," the sources said.
An Inter-Provincial meeting held on June 07, 2001 remained
inclusive like its previous meetings besides that of Indus
River System Authority [IRSA] meetings, as the major provinces
Punjab and Sindh had been adopting unflinching stand on their
respective stances.
Under the inter-ministerial 1994 water sharing formula, both
Punjab and Sindh used to share water in the shortage days on
the basis of water sharing done between the two provinces
during 1977-82, however, both the provinces were not
comfortable on the section 14(B) of this inter-ministerial
1994 accord.
The 1994 decision was based on four points which included: 1)
the beginning point for Sindh would be Chashma and not Taunsa
barrage; 2) Water position of Mangla reservoir in May 1994; 3)
Water sharing between Sindh and Punjab during shortage days on
the basis of Historical Agreement; and 4) Sindh would provide
water to Balochistan according to its requirements.
July 5
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