Water tensions

THE unresolved tensions over Indus water distribution under the 1991 Water Apportionment Accord demand a revision of the agreement that has failed to end the water dispute between Punjab and Sindh even after nearly 35 years. At the last meeting of water regulator Irsa, Sindh reportedly hardened its stance over its demand for interprovincial water distribution according to the shares originally allocated to the federating units under the Accord, rather than on the basis of historical use as is being practised for over two decades. Balochistan has also decided to support Sindh. This will make it difficult for both the federal government, which has already made itself controversial by trying to implement contentious changes in the Irsa structure in order to curb provincial voices in policymaking, and Punjab to brush the issue under the carpet for too long.
At the heart of the dispute is the assumption that Pakistan has 117.35 MAF of water — an amount that never was and is unlikely to be available to distribute among the provinces. What makes things more complex is the fact that the agreement does not stipulate a solution when the volume available in the system is less than the assumed amount for distribution. To share Indus water shortages, Irsa has been distributing water on the basis of its historical use by the provinces. Sindh feels this significantly slashes its share under the Accord and drastically affects the “environmental flow” of river water into the sea. Though the centre and Punjab have for now ruled out Sindh’s demand for its water share determined in the Accord on technical grounds as the matter is with the Council of Common Interests, growing water scarcity in the country calls for revisiting the agreement to base shares on actual water flows, removing ambiguities around the distribution of surpluses and shortages. Further delay in finding a solution will only complicate an already knotty issue.
Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2024