Sindh would take charge of Chairman IRSA from 16th October

KARACHI: Sindh would take the charge of Chairman Indus River System Authority (IRSA) from 16th October 2011, reliable sources told Business Recorder on Saturday.

IRSA is a federal body which consists on five members, one is from Capital (Islamabd) and other four are each from every province, members have to work for fair distribution of water share to their provinces according to 1991 water accord.

Every member has to stay at job for three years and the Chairman of IRSA would be from the members on rotation basis, the tenure of Chairman is only one year, sources said.

Sources said that the tenure of current Chairman Rao Irshad Khan would be completed on 15th October 2011.

Rao Irshad Khan is the member of Punjab in IRSA and after his tenure completion, Sindh's member Syed Mazhar Ali Shah would take the charge of Chairmanship, sources said.

Mr Shah had joined IRSA on 16th June 2011, he was ever first regular officer of Sindh Irrigation department who had joined IRSA on his personal will, sources said.

Mazhar Ali Shah vowed that he would work as very neutral Chairman when contacted by this scribe.

To a question regarding the statement of Rao Irshad Khan, he said that Mr Khan had talked about the water flow at Kotri Down stream in his personal capacity.

Rao Irshad Khan had termed the water flow at Kotri down stream as wastage of water during a program a few days back.

Mazhar Ali Shah said that being a chairman IRSA, Rao Irshad has not the mandate to talk over the dams and other sensitive issues because IRSA's job is only to make fair distribution among all provinces as per 1991 water accord.

Sources further said that after Sindh, member of Capital (Islamabad) would be the Chairman IRSA, the number of Balochistan would come after the Capital while, the Khyberpakhtunkhuwah would be the Chairman IRSA after the Balochistan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2011