HYDERABAD: The Sindh government has again raised its objection over the Greater Thal Canal (GTC) Phase-II project planned by the Punjab government wondering that how this project would get additional water flows. Sindh fears that its share in water would be diverted to this project.

The objections were raised at a meeting held a couple of days back in the Planning Commission, Islamabad, on Dec 28 following the Dec 22 decision by Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) to defer a final decision on GTC’s phase-II amidst Sindh’s concerns.

The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) chairman and Sindh’s representatives opposed it in the Dec 28 meeting. Ecnec has not yet approved the phase-II project, comprising Chaubara and Dhingana branch canals of GTC. They referred to the Oct 6 observations of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) that “Punjab should certify canal will be built on additional water and existing canal water will not be diverted,” they said, and asked: “Where this additional water is going to come from?”.

The CDWP in its meeting in October last year had observed that “there were certain interprovincial issues on the opening of canals last [2020] summer due to water shortages. Water projects upstream can create issues, hence this [GTC phase-II] project should be reviewed by Irsa in the interprovincial context and NOC be obtained with consensus from all provinces”.

It also observed that “project authorities may certify there is additional water available and water allowance of existing canal command will not be diverted/affected”.

Punjab representative did not attend the Dec 28 meeting, pleading that minutes of Ecnec’s Dec 22 meeting were not issued yet.

Sindh irrigation secretary Sohail Qureshi told Dawn over phone that GTC phase-II had become contentious from Sindh’s point of view and its concern had been shared in Planning Commission’s meeting.

GTC takes off from Chashma-Jhelum (CJ) link canal, already a controversial channel in terms of its operation during peak Kharif season. Sindh officials say that GTC has an allocation of 2.497MAF (1.873 under para-2 of the Water Apportionment Accord, 1991, and 0.624MAF through flood supplies under para-4 of the accord).

Sindh had first objected to GTC at the time of allocations of water flows for the canal which, it said, was done by violating para 14-b of the accord. The Phase-I of GTC had started in 2001 even before getting water availability-related NOC from Irsa. The NOC was obtained with a 3:2 vote decision in May 2002 without Ecnec’s nod.

Sindh officials claimed that Punjab used water flows over and above its share under the accord and 10-daily allocations. “To prove our point, we told Punjab officials that they got flows, for another channel namely Thal Canal of Jinnah barrage, increased from 6,800 cusecs to 9,000 or 1.6MAF with Irsa’s approval. This showed that Punjab had already obtained flows over and above its share,” said one officer.

Sindh always pressed for the implementation of the Water Accord, 1991. “The accord should be implemented when it comes to ensuring interprovincial water distribution,” said a senior officer. Sindh’s contention is that Punjab is insisting to execute phase-II of GTC, which has share under the accord.

“Apparently this argument of Punjab looks good. But simultaneously it is in direct conflict with Irsa’s decision for interprovincial water distribution under a three-tier formula during shortages every year and Punjab supports it at Sindh’s cost,” he said.

Admittedly, he said, GTC has share of 1.87MAF under the accord. “This very share of 1.87MAF is part of 10-daily allocations under para-2 of the accord. But interprovincial distribution is not done in line with this para-2 despite Sindh’s insistence,” he said.

He added that Punjab must explain that on the one hand it was seeking water share for GTC under para-2. But interprovincial water distribution did not take place under same para-2. “It is done under a three-tier formula. What justification does Punjab have to demand water for GTC under para-2 when the same is denied to Sindh?” he quipped.

“Sindh’s concerns have not been addressed yet and nor did Punjab share its plan as to how it will use additional water for phase-II,” remarks Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro. “We must know how new canal will get water flows without disturbing flows in the existing canals,” Mr Shoro said.

The minister feared that if Punjab was not sharing details of water flows to be used in the phase-II project, then Sindh’s stance was justified that its share would be cut even further. “It will undermine availability of water flows in Sindh,” he contended.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2022