HYDERABAD: Officials of the International Sedimentation Research Institute of Pakistan (Isrip),which works under Wapda, will again measure flows at Guddu Barrage upstream on Tuesday (today) to determine whether the flows being released Taunsa downstream are showing a rising trend at Guddu Barrage.

A joint team of Wapda, Sindh and Punjab irrigation officials, Isrip officials, Indus River System Authority’s members from Punjab and Balochistan along with chairman Zahid Junejo visited Taunsa Barrage downstream on Monday. They are working under the supervision of National Assembly’s Standing Committee on water resources headed by Khalid Magsi, an MNA from Balochistan. Ministry of Water Resources joint secretary Mehar Ali Shah is also part of the team.

The flow measurement and monitoring exercise had to be initiated on Saturday after the Standing Committee had a heated debate over shortages in Sindh with stakeholders. Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro also spoke quite vocally about ‘missing flows between Taunsa and Guddu.

The committee formed this joint team to conduct the exercise at Guddu, Sukkur and Taunsa barrages before submitting its findings.

Members of NA body, officials collect figures at Taunsa, Guddu barrages

“It was an exercise not conducted earlier,” said Khalid Magsi from Taunsa barrage while confirming that the Isrip team would again measure flows at Guddu upstream. He added that the exercise for monitoring had been continuing since Saturday.

“Today at Taunsa, readings of ADCP [Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler] device used by Sindh, Punjab and Isrip officials had shown same figures after adding certain value,” said an irrigation official.

He said these flows would show a rising trend at Guddu Barrage upstream after three to four days. For the purpose, the Isrip team would measure flows to exclude any chance of over-reading or under-reading at the barrage, he said, and added that “Isrip’s presence is in the whole exercise is no less important than a third-party assessment” to make the process transparent.

The official said that “Punjab irrigation officials had earlier objected to Isrips’ reading at Guddu Barrage but when their device matched their own reading, they felt comfortable.” If Sindh officials reported flows between Taunsa-Guddu reach, that might be disbelieved in Punjab; therefore, Isrip’s reading of such flows would have a factor of neutrality, he said.

According to MNA Magsi, he Isrip team is likely to stay at Guddu to measure flows because the quantum released from Taunsa will take three-four days to reach Guddu barrage.

“Our team is to finalise a report on the whole exercise which will be submitted to the Standing Committee chairman [Yusuf Talpur],” he said, adding that still the data was being calibrated to avoid any error because it was to become part of the committee’s report.

Shortage situation is alarming

MNA Magsi said that the situation in Sindh was indeed alarming as far as water shortage was concerned. He said even drinking water availability had become a problem in Balochistan now because the province was getting flows from Sindh.

“Balochistan is getting 700 cusecs through Pat Feeder [canal] of Guddu Barrage,” he said. The quantum was just insufficient because the minimal flows would be absorbed in the canal bed before reaching Balochistan, he argued.

A Guddu Barrage official, however, claimed that Pat Feeder was releasing 1,200 cusecs and Ghotki Feeder 1,000 cusecs. Canals of Guddu Barrage, which remained closed earlier, had now been opened. Balochistan gets water through two sources — Pat Feeder and Khirthar canal — of Sukkur Barrage.

The Irsa chairman has also left for Islamabad. Sindh’s officials, including director of Hydrology Habib Ursani, were returning to their province.

The flows at Guddu upstream on Monday (May 16) were recorded at 46,945 cusecs against Taunsa Barrage’s downstream flows of 69,079 cusecs. An overall 51.4pc shortage was recorded at Sindh’s barrages with Kotri Barrage recording highest percentage-wise short­age figure, i.e. 66.5pc.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2022