• Opposition, treasury join hands to adopt unanimous resolution
• Lawmakers term attempt to alter Irsa composition ‘against spirit of federation’
• Demand implementation of 1991 Water Accord in letter and spirit
• PTI stages walkout in protest over remarks against party

KARACHI: In a rare show of unity in the Sindh Assembly, lawmakers from the two sides of the aisle rejected the proposed amendment to the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) Act, resolving to never give up the province’s right on water guaranteed in the Water Accord of 1991.

The house unanimously adopted a resolution against the proposed amendment to the Irsa Act-1992, with members terming the proposal against the Constitution and democratic spirit of the federation.

The resolution, tabled by Pakistan Peoples Party member Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, demanded the federal government to implement the water accord in true letter and spirit and not change or amend the Irsa Act.

The resolution said: “Water Apportionment Accord 1991 and the Irsa Act 1992 are tools to lay down the basis for the regulation and distribution of surface water amongst the provinces according to the allocation and policies spelt out in Water Apportionment Accord 1991. Therefore, any change in Irsa Act, 1992 is tantamount to change in Water Accord. It will not be accepted by the people of Sindh. This will be against the democratic spirit of Federation.”

Opening discussion on his resolution, Mr Khurho said that no amendment in Irsa Act was acceptable to the people of Sindh as it would have an effect on the 1991 Water Accord. “Water is a provincial subject and the Irsa Act cannot be amended without the consent of the province,” he added.

He said that there was an apprehension that the federal government would amend the Irsa Act to have authority to appoint a serving or retired bureaucrat of grade-21 as Irsa chairman. “The Irsa chairman is elected from the Irsa members from the provinces on the basis of rotation”, he said.

Mr Khurho said it had to be ensured that the federal government did not act to break the Federation of Pakistan by taking such action under the guise of amending the Irsa Act.

He recalled that the water accord was signed for the fair distribution of water between the provinces, having signatures of the chief ministers of the four provinces. Despite the 1991 water treaty, the land in the province was uninhabited and water was being supplied in many areas on the basis of rotation, he said.

The PPP MPA said that the distribution of water by Irsa was not being done under the agreed formula and demanded the province’s share of water under the Water Accord.

He said that the millions of acres in the coastal belt of the province had been eroded by the sea as the required water was not being given to it.

Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro said that Punjab had been getting water more than its share and it had irrigated over 200,000 acres from 1991.

He said that situation would become fragile if more land was irrigated in Punjab and Irsa Act was amended. “We reject the possible amendment in the act and we will never compromise on it,” he said.

Education Minister Sardar Shah said that the federal government had reportedly proposed to appoint a permanent chairman of Irsa with a four-year term, while the members would be inducted for three years. He said that the amendment in the Irsa Act would be in contravention of Article 155 of the Constitution.

Opposition demands adequate supply of potable water to Karachi

All opposition parties members supported the resolution, but they also strongly demanded adequate supply of potable water to Karachi and other urban centres of the province.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakitan’s member Najam Mirza said that the controversy over the water share among the provinces had come to an end after 70 years in 1991 when the Water Accord was signed.

He said that the water shortage is one of the biggest issues of the country and urged the need of resolution of the issue with consultation of all stakeholders.

“Unfortunately, the conflict on water share that started in 1921 is still there and the matter is being taken up in 2024,” he said and add that the Water Accord also fixed the water quota for Karachi.

He said that the provincial government was itself not acting upon the provision of Water Accord in giving the share of water to the city. “The city now needs over 1,450 MGD,” he said and asked as to how many schemes the provincial governments of the PPP had introduced to cater the needs of the city.

PPP MPA Heer Soho said that Sindh was the only province in the country which had always been facing acute water shortage. “The province does not get its due share” she deplored, adding that the water shortage had endangered economy, culture and civilisation in the province.

She said that the PPP did not want to take the matter to the streets and warned that the situation would be out of control if the province was not given its due water share, endangering the existence of federation. “The PPP lawmakers will tender their resignations from the assembly if such an amendment was introduced in the Irsa Act,” she declared.

Syed Usman said that Karachi was the biggest among six divisions of the province in terms of area and population, but was not getting its due share of potable water.

He said that Karachi’s water quota of 1,100 MGD was fixed in accordance with the population of the city in the census, adding that the city was getting only 1.5 per cent of the water from the province’s share.

The MQM-P MPA said that the population of the province was 55.7 million and added that Karachi was the most populous city with 37 per cent of the province’s total population and got only 600MGD water.

Jammat-i-Islami’s Muhammad Farooq said that fair distribution of water could ensure water supply to lower riparian. He said the unfair distribution of water led to drought and floods in the province.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-backed Sunni Ittehad Council’s Parliamentary Leader Shabbir Qureshi supported the resolution and said that all assembly members were united on the issue.

During the proceedings, the PTI members staged a token walkout over remarks of a PPP lawmaker against their party. However, Mr Khuhro brought them back to the house.

Later, Speaker Syed Awais Shah adjourned the house to Tuesday.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2024