ISLAMABAD: The government’s project to install a telemetry system at 27 sites across four provinces — aimed at ensuring transparent water accounting and checking unaccounted water — has sparked a fresh dispute between Sindh and Balochistan.
The disagreement surfaced during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Water Resources, chaired by Ahmad Ateeq Anwar. Secretary Ministry of Water Resources Syed Ali Murtaza and Wapda Chairman Lt Gen Muhammad Saeed (Retd) attended along with their teams.
During a briefing on the Rs 24 billion telemetry system project, Secretary Irrigation Balochistan Sohail-ur-Rehman Baloch and Sindh’s Special Secretary Irrigation (Technical) Sajid Ali Bhutto exchanged opposing views on the installation of telemetry equipment at sites where water is released to Balochistan.
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In Sindh, the telemetry system will be installed at seven locations:(i) Guddu; (ii) Sukkur; (iii) Kotri; (iv) Pat Feeder RD 109; (v) Kirthar Canal RD 103; (vi) Uch; and (vii) Manuthy.
The Balochistan Irrigation Secretary argued that a 10-kilometre stretch along the Indus River sees excessive pumping, reducing Balochistan’s share of water. “We want the telemetry system installed at the points from where water is actually released to the provinces, within our boundary. Without this, the project is futile for Balochistan,” he maintained.
Sindh’s representative reacted strongly, questioning why the concern was raised only four months ago instead of three years earlier when the PC-I was being prepared. He said the project aims to establish a real-time water monitoring system across the Indus Basin Irrigation System (IBIS) to ensure transparent accounting and distribution. According to him, the controversy over three sites was highlighted only recently during an IRSA meeting, where some officials supported the objection.
Chairman WAPDA intervened to ease tensions, stating that the PC-I had already been approved and execution was underway. However, he assured that Balochistan’s concerns would be reviewed by the Project Steering Committee.“No decision will be taken without taking all federating units into confidence,” he said, adding that telemetry readings will help curb water theft along canal banks by showing actual discharge levels.
Chairman IRSA agreed that the Steering Committee was the proper forum to settle the matter.
The Chairman of the Standing Committee emphasized that water is a highly sensitive interprovincial issue and directed that Balochistan’s concerns be addressed satisfactorily. He said Irsa must resolve the matter by taking both provinces into confidence.
Wapda officials also presented updates on Phase-I and Phase-II of the telemetry project. The Secretary Water Resources noted severe variations in water levels across different locations and said Pakistan lacks adequate water-level data.
Chairman Wapda highlighted that Pakistan’s water shortages are offset through the Indus Waters Treaty, yet the rivers covered under the treaty receive limited flows. “In the eastern rivers, water sometimes comes only once in ten years during floods; otherwise very little flows,” he said. He also warned that groundwater levels in Pakistan are rapidly declining.“We cannot change people’s water-use habits, but we can increase resources,” he added.
The committee was informed that on July 30, 2025, the federal cabinet approved the PEC Green Building Code and the Rainwater Harvesting Provision of the Pakistan Building Code, applicable to residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. Wapda and the Federal Flood Commission (FFC), with support from ADB consultants, have also prepared a National Master Plan for a Flood Telemetry Network (Phase-I), comprising 457 hydro-climatological stations nationwide.
The committee recommended that all stakeholders be taken into confidence before finalizing the telemetry system’s installation.
Members were further briefed that the Nara Canal originates from the Sukkur Barrage and comprises 6 main canals, 9 branch canals, 49 distributaries, and 167 minor lift channels across four divisions, irrigating 2.25 million acres in nine districts of southeastern Sindh. MNAs Shamaila Rana, Syed Javed Ali Shah Jillani, Zulfiqar Ali Behan, Saba Talpur, Syed Waseem Hussain, and officials from the Ministry of Water Resources attended the meeting.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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