CM rubbishes Sindh’s objection to water share

LAHORE:Chief Minister Usman Buzdar Tuesday chaired a meeting about water reserves and the availability of water in the province.

Ministers Mohsin Khan Leghari, Hussain Jehanian Gardezi, secretaries of irrigation and agriculture departments and others attended the meeting. A detailed briefing was given about the prevailing water situation in the province.

The meeting regretted point-scoring by Sindh and expressed its concern over water shortage in Punjab. The CM stressed that Sindh’s objection to the provision of more water to Punjab is inaccurate, adding water was continuously supplied to Sindh at the time of sowing of crops there and when crops are being sown in Punjab, the hue and cry by Sindh is preposterous.

Punjab can divert its water share to any canal according to the need and tested gauges have also been placed in Punjab to compile water data, he said. On the other side, he pointed out that there is no verified record of the collection of water data in Sindh. Making water a political issue is contrary to the national interest as water shortage is a technical issue that can be resolved through the constitution of joint teams of Irsa, Punjab and Sindh, the CM suggested.

He pointed out that Sindh earlier agreed to install the telemetry system but refused afterwards. He asserted that the Sindh government is quoting wrong data on the issue of water; and due to the mismanagement of the Sindh government, water is still being released to the ocean from Kotri downstream. He added that the Punjab government has sent a letter to Irsa to depute inspectors for ensuring correct reporting about water. How can the issue of water shortage in Karachi be linked with Punjab as it has always taken care of every other province as an elder brother, the CM emphasised and suggested that politics over water issue is improper for everybody.

corona: Usman Buzdar has said the ratio of positive corona cases is decreasing due to timely and effective measures by the PTI government. In a statement issued the chief minister said corona cases were decreasing due to effective management by the government. PDM: Usman Buzdar has said the negative political narrative of the PDM has met a natural death as the people have abandoned the rejected elements.