The Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources has directed for an in-camera briefing by the concerned departments on water inflow from the Indian side in Pakistani rivers, which is causing floods in the country. The committee met with Shamim Afridi in the chair where other members expressed concerns over the water inflow from the Indian side without prior intimation and inquired whether or not the Indus Waters Treaty has been violated.
Commissioner for Indus Waters, Meher Ali Shah informed the committee that India continued to release water on Wednesday in Sutlej River. He further said that India intimated about water releases on August 19. However he urged the committee to hold an in-camera briefing on this sensitive matter. The committee directed for a detailed in-camera briefing in the next meeting.
The committee expressed concerns over the encroachments on flood waterways of all major and other rivers/ hill torrents and directed authorities to restrict further encroachments. The committee also recommended that the people who have encroached upon waterways of rivers should be resettled at safe places.
The senior officials of Minister of Water Resources informed the committee that as per River Act of Punjab province, approved in April 2016, such settlements are considered as encroachments and the Supreme Court of Pakistan (ICP) has already directed to remove such encroachments from the flood plain/ waterways of all major and other rivers/ hill torrents and settle the people at safe places.
The officials further said that Federal Flood Commission (FFC) is holding regular meetings and is pursuing the matter with the provinces for removal of such encroachments and restricting further encroachments in flood-prone areas.
The committee took serious notice of the absence of chief secretary Balochistan from the meeting while discussing the progress report on a point of public importance raised by Senator Mir Kabeer Ahmed Muhammad Shahi, regarding compensation of affectees of Mirani Dam.
Senator Mir Kabeer Ahmed Muhammad Shahi said that a recommendation was made in the last meeting for summoning the responsible officers, which has not been paid heed.
He took serious note of lack of knowledge of the officers present in the meeting. It was asserted that these are delaying tactics and that strict action must be taken against this. The committee recommended that chief secretary, secretary irrigation, secretary finance and deputy commissioner Kech be summoned in the next meeting and a privilege motion be moved against them if they fail to show up.
About the agenda item pertaining to relocation of Khazina Dam as well as reasons and rationale for reselection of the site, the committee was informed that Rs 300 million would be allocated from the provincial annual development plan for the purpose. The storage capacity of the new site would be 7 times more. The committee was requested to support this matter and give directives for inclusion of the budget in the provincial ADP. Chairman Committee Senator Shamim Afridi appreciated the progress.
While taking up the editorial of a daily newspaper published on 7th August, 2019 regarding damage caused by flood in the Indus River, the committee recommended that further encroachment of flood plains must be discouraged and a policy of flood plain regulation be formulated.
The committee also recommended that affectees must be compensated and relocated. The chief secretaries of all four provinces were summoned in the next meeting.
The meeting was attended by Senator Hasil Khan Bizenjo, Senator Muhammad Usman Khan Kakar, Senator Syed Muhammad Sabir Shah, Senator Mir Kabeer Ahmed Muhammad Shahi, Senator Mir Muhammad Yousaf Badini, Senator Walid Iqbal and senior officers of the Ministry of Water Resources and IRSA along with all concerned.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019

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