Sindh and Balochistan boycott meeting: water row still unresolved

The water flow measurement controversy between Sindh and Balochistan remained unresolved as the representatives of both provinces boycotted the meeting convened by the Minister for Water and Power, Liaquat Ali Jatoi, on Saturday.
Sources in Indus River System Authority (Irsa) told Business Recorder that representatives of both provinces in Irsa did not attend the meeting, without citing any reason. "That's why the issue remained unresolved".
The Minister had ordered on Thursday that Balochistan should be provided additional 500 cusecs water, with immediate effect, and had called a special meeting of Sindh and Balochistan on Saturday to resolve the water flow measurement controversy between the two provinces at Garange Regulator of Kirther Canal.
Sources said that the meeting did not even touch the issue due to absence of respective Irsa representatives from the two provinces.
The other most important issue discussed at the meeting was the faulty telemetry system. The minister made it clear to the project director that he would be taken to task if the system was not streamlined within three weeks, sources said.
Jatoi said that he was answerable to the President, the Prime Minister and the parliament on the issue, and would not spare the project director in case the Rs 320 million system failed to deliver.
"The minister showed displeasure as the system is still giving wrong readings at a number of stations," said a press release, which quoted the minister as directing Wapda that the apparatus must be rectified within two weeks to remove apprehensions of all stakeholders.
The basic issue was that neither Wapda nor Irsa were ready to own the telemetry system, which was installed to develop confidence among the stakeholders on water releases, but the desired goal was not achieved.
Jatoi directed Wapda to speed up work on the on-going mega water and power projects and asked concerned quarters to complete these projects on war footing to enable the federal government to meet the growing demand of water and electricity in the country.The Minister also directed Irsa and the Private Power infrastructure Board (PPIB) to resolve all issues within three weeks so that no negative impression/signal is transmitted to private investors of the important hydro power projects.
The Minister was informed about the progress on Munda Dam. The sponsor of the dam informed that the project entails a 200 metre high concrete face rock fill dam which will have water storage capacity of 1.2 billion cubic metres and will have 726 MW power generation capacity.
The water storage will regulate the outflows so as to augment about three times the present outflows. The project will cost about $ 1.02 billion, to be invested by private sector. The project is expected to start power generation by 2014.
The Minister said that he had been informed that 15 villages of District Badin were inundated by water while there was no official aid/relief for the affectees. He also asked them to collect actual data and other information from all provinces about measures taken so far for relief in the flood affected areas, and Federal Flood Commission (FFC) had been directed to send its officers to visit relief camps and inquire about the actual steps taken in the relief centres.
Earlier, the Minister was given detailed briefing by the Chairman Federal Flood Commission, I B Sheikh, and Chairman, Irsa, Shafqat Masood, regarding flood situation and inflows in the rivers and water situation and releases to the provinces.
The meeting was attended by Secretary Water and Power, Adviser Water and Power, Chairman Wapda, Chairman FFC, Chairman Irsa, Joint Secretary (Power), members of Irsa and other senior officials of Wapda and FFC.