ISLAMABAD: The trust deficit and poor coordination among the water sector stakeholders has led to a crisis-like situation, resulting in more than 50 per cent shortage of water in Sindh and Balochistan despite full discharges from reservoirs according to provincial demands.

An official of the ministry of water and power told Dawn that the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) had been meeting full indents of Sindh and Balochistan for almost a month now and the Chashma barrage had touched its dead level and yet Sindh was complaining of 50pc shortage and not receiving its full share.

Examine: Farmers, towns’ residents protest acute water shortage

He said that discharges from dams and barrages were normally so synchronised that Chashma seldom reached its dead level even in drought-like conditions.

“There has been an institutional mishap,” he said.

The official pointed out that the entire operational hierarchy of Wapda, Irsa and provincial representatives appeared to be holding back real information, instead of sharing it with others. They are unable to explain why Sindh and Balochistan were not getting their full share of water when it was being discharged from dams.

Over the past one month, representatives of the Sindh irrigation department have thrice visited Taunsa barrage to check discharges and found them to be accurate, but they were surprised why water was not reaching downstream and it was not traceable between Chashma and Guddu barrages.

Because of poor coordination, sources said, outflows from Tarbela dam were not enhanced at an appropriate time. As a result, Chashma barrage has reached its dead level even though releases from Tarbela dam were increased on an emergent basis by about 65,000 cusecs to more than 170,000 cusecs.

The sources said the releases through link canals from Indus River were being increased when Sindh and Balochistan were facing shortage on the Indus zone. For example, releases through Chashma-Jhelum Link Canal were increased suddenly to 2,000 cusecs last week and over the past two days the discharges to Taunsa-Punjnad link canal had also been increased from 500 cusecs to 2,600 cusecs.

This is despite the fact that enough water was available in the Chenab zone and over 151 feet storage at Mangla dam which was still being increased. Mangla dam received 56,400 cusecs on Thursday, of which 45,000 cusecs was released downstream after storing 11,000 cusecs.

On the other hand, Sindh has no representation in Irsa at present following rejection of its request to extend the tenure of its former member Mazhar Ali Shah for three years till June 13, 2017.

Mr Shah completed his three-year tenure on June 14 and the Sindh government has thrice sought his extension. The issue was also raised by PPP parliamentarians from Sindh in the National Assembly, but in vain.

The sources said the Sindh government had originally recommended Mr Shah for two terms (six years), but on completion of his first term when he requested the federal government for a fresh notification for the second term, he was directed to come back with a fresh recommendation from the provincial government.

The Sindh government sent a fresh recommendation for Mr Shah’s extension but the federal government desired that the recommendation should be endorsed directly by the chief minister office. The chief minister has since sent two reminders for his extension, but the government has not yet notified it.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2014