Sindh cabinet says Punjab being favoured in water distribution

Sindh cabinet said in a meeting Tuesday that Punjab was getting an “exclusive favour” and more than its share of water from the Indus water system.

Sindh irrigation minister and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto have been speaking on the issue since the past couple of weeks, as the province sees Kharif season.

The cabinet termed the unjust distribution “Sindh-enmity” and asked the federal government to distribute the current water shortage as per the 1991 water accord. “The crops are turning pale in Sindh and the IRSA has failed to implement the accord.”

The meeting acknowledged that there is a shortage of water in Pakistan but demanded that it be divided among the provinces as per the accord.

IRSA said on May 17 in a press release that it is distributing water “strictly in accordance with the share of provinces.” It said that there was a dip in Indus River from April 27 to May 5 in Tarbela and Chashma dams. The situation has been improving after that.