KARACHI: Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday said that the Sindh government had allowed water for the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi subject to the condition that Karachi would also be given additional 1,200 cusecs water for domestic use.

He said this while presiding over a preparatory meeting ahead of an upcoming meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) scheduled to be held in Islamabad on April 28.

Officials said the agenda of the CCI meeting included matters pertaining to the Higher Education Commission and other similar bodies, formulation of the National Flood Protection Plan IV, import of LNG, sixth population and housing census, National Forest Policy 2015, amendment in the Regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power Act 1997, supply of gas to localities or villages in five-kilometre radius of gas-producing fields, short supplies of water in Pat Feeder and Khirthar canals, allocation of 1,200 cusecs (650.5 MGD) additional water for Karachi, etc.

Irrigation Secretary Syed Jamal Shah said at present 1,200 cusecs water from the Indus was required for the K-IV project and the requirement would go up to 1,800 cusecs by 2020 and 2,400 cusecs by 2025.

CM Shah said fresh requirement of water should also be shared by other three provinces since Karachi had accommodated people hailing from those provinces.

He added that other provinces should help Sindh meet that requirement.

Discussing supply of gas to the regions in five-kilometre radius of gas-producing fields, Energy Secretary Agha Wasif said there were 347 villages located near gas-producing fields. The federal government was of the view that the provincial government should bear the expenditures.

He said total cost of the gas connection to 347 villages would be Rs3.591 billion, out of which the Sui Southern Gas Company would invest Rs747m while the remaining amount of Rs2.844bn would be borne by the Sindh government.

The chief minister reiterated his earlier stand that in pursuance of a Supreme Court verdict and prime minister’s directives the federal government should bear total cost of the gas pipelines for villages located in five-km radius of gas-producing fields.

He said he would manage to provide gas to other villages which were within the districts of gas-producing fields.

About short supplies of water at Pat Feeder and Khirthar canals, the irrigation secretary said the claim of Balochistan was not justified as there was no legal provision under the 1991 Water Accord for monetary compensation on account of alleged short supplies of water.

CM Shah said he was ready to start third-party monitoring with the consent of the two provinces.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2017