Sindh demands urgent CCI meeting to address water shortage

KARACHI: The Sindh government has urged the federal government to convene an immediate Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting to address the province’s acute water shortage, news reported.

The letter stated that water scarcity has made crop cultivation impossible for the upcoming sowing season.

The Sindh government claimed that the shortage occurred because Punjab received more water than its allocated share under the Water Accord 1991. The province has rejected the certificate issued by IRSA for the Cholistan Canal project, calling it “illegal.”

The Sindh government has urged an immediate CCI meeting to resolve the water distribution issue. It has called on the CCI to revoke the Cholistan project’s approval and suspend its implementation until all stakeholders reach a consensus on water distribution.

Earlier, Sindh’s irrigation department warned of an imminent water shortage and drought in Karachi and other parts of the province through a circular.

“The water reservoirs dropped to a dangerous level owing to a lower level of rainfall during the ongoing Rabi season,” the letter read.

The water level in Tarbela dropped to just 0.102 million acre-feet, while Mangla reservoir reached 0.226 MAF. The letter warned that water in Tarbela and Mangla dams could reach dead levels within four to five days.

“This water shortage, if it continues, the scarcity could reach over 50% in the beginning of the Kharif season of crops”, the irrigation department apprehends.

The Sindh Irrigation Department has emphasized the need to plan for a fair distribution of available water.

“The impacts of drought are emerging in Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpur Khas, Thatta, and Badin districts. While Dadu, Sukkur, Ghotki, Khairpur, Naushehro Feroz, Larkana, Jacobabad, and Tharparkar districts are also being affected,” according to the official letter.