Unanimous PA resolution opposes likely amendments to Irsa Act

The Provincial Assembly of Sindh on Monday adopted a resolution against the federal government’s attempt to amend the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) Act, 1992, and the non-implementation of the Water Apportionment Accord, 1991, to distribute the river’s water among the provinces.

The resolution, which was moved in the PA by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Sindh President Nisar Khuhro, also demanded that the Centre ensure the implementation of the Water Accord in true letter and spirit.

To safeguard the fundamental water rights of Sindh’s residents, lawmakers on the treasury and opposition benches demonstrated rare unity in their speeches in the House against the proposed amendments to the Irsa Act. They opined that changing even the punctuations in the Irsa Act is tantamount to abolishing the entire law.

Khuhro said that any amendment to the Irsa Act by the Centre is unacceptable to the people of Sindh. He said that making any change to the Irsa Act would affect the implementation of the Water Accord.

He was of the view that water resources have become a provincial subject, so any amendment to the Irsa Act should be incorporated only after seeking the permission of the provinces.

The PPP leader said that neither a serving bureaucrat nor a retired civil servant is eligible to become the Irsa chairman. He told the PA that a rotatory mechanism is in place to appoint the Irsa chief from among the representatives of the provinces serving as the authority’s members.

He said that in accordance with its lawful mandate, Irsa should ensure just distribution of the river’s water among the provinces as per the Water Accord. Khuhro warned the Centre against weakening the federation of Pakistan by amending the Irsa Act.

He told the House that consultations were held with the provincial governments before the signing of the Water Accord for the just distribution of the river’s water among the provinces. He recalled that all the then provincial chief ministers were signatories to the Water Accord. He said that the implementation of the Water Accord is necessary to save the farmlands of Sindh from getting barren.

He also said that being the natives of the lower riparian area, Sindh’s people have the foremost right to the Indus River’s water. Khuhro said he had moved the resolution in pursuance of his obligations as a son of Sindh’s soil.

The PPP leader said that all the provinces should equally bear the shortage of the river’s water in the country. He said that several areas near Sindh’s coastal belt in Thatta and Badin have been rendered barren due to the curtailed release of the river’s water downstream Kotri in violation of the Water Accord.

He said the Irsa Act should not be amended, while the Water Accord should be duly implemented to safeguard the fundamental rights of the people of Sindh. Khuhro feared that the proposed changes to the Irsa Act are aimed at appointing a new chairman of the authority at the cost of the representation of the provinces for the just distribution of the river’s water.

Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro said Irsa is bound to act upon its charter, which stands for the implementation of the Water Accord. He said that the current mechanism of Irsa’s functioning takes care of the reservations of the provinces about the water-sharing practice in the country.

He assured the House that the PPP’s Sindh government would ensure the construction of the K-IV bulk water supply project for Karachi. He said that the provincial authorities had curtailed the water share of Thatta and Sujawal to supply water to Karachi from the Keenjhar Lake. He stressed that even a minute amendment to the Irsa Act would produce negative consequences in the country. Shoro said the Sindh government would never allow any undue amendments to the Irsa Act.

He said that the present constitutional mechanism has the provision for approaching the forum of the Council of Common Interests to settle any controversial issue regarding the distribution of the river’s water.