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Govt moves to mitigate Sindh water crisis

President Zardari’s decision to reduce flows at Taunsa-Panjnad  angers Punjab:
Govt moves to mitigate Sindh water crisis

No Taunsa-Panjnad water for Punjab

Furore in PA over water share cut

Stopping water storage in Tarbela:
Sindh demands closure of Indus link canals
Magsi accuses irrigation minister of being ‘naïve’
More water for Kharif, power generation    

Govt moves to mitigate Sindh water crisis
By Shamim-ur-Rahman 

The meeting, held at Bilawal House in Karachi, was informed that because of a dip in the Indus River, Sindh was expected to face massive water shortages. - APP photo
KARACHI: In order to overcome an expected water shortage in Sindh, a meeting chaired by President Asif Ali Zardari decided on Wednesday to reduce flows in Taunsa-Panjnad, and if needed, close it.
Analysts believe that the decision could have a far-reaching impact on the water-sharing issues between the provinces.According to officials, the meeting held at the Bilawal House decided to stop further storage of water in Tarbela to meet requirements downstream.
The Sindh Minister for Irrigation and Power, Syed Murad Ali Shah, had raised the issue of expected shortages at a meeting with President Zardari on Saturday, prompting the president to call the Wednesday meeting.The meeting was informed that because of a dip in the Indus, Sindh was expected to face massive shortages.

He said the government’s land grant policy should focus on womenfolk because the objective of the scheme was to empower women through sustainable development.The president asked the authorities concerned to initiate a study on Manchhar lake and find ways to rid it of polluted water.According to officials, the meeting approved the construction of Karachi-Hyderabad motorway (M9) at a cost of Rs8 billion. Work on the project will start in October this year and will be completed by Oct 2011.
A package of Rs24 billion was also approved by the president for road projects in Larkana.The meeting decided to upgrade the Karachi Fish Harbour to meet EU’s standards. Mr Zardari asked the provincial government to accelerate fish production in rural areas.A welfare plan for improving income opportunities for Sindh’s fishermen was also approved.President Zardari was briefed on projects worth Rs4 billion pertaining to the fisheries sector.
DAWN:Thursday, 25 Jun, 2009

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No Taunsa-Panjnad water for Punjab

By: Zamir Sheikh

KARACHI - A high-level meeting chaired by President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday decided to overcome water shortage in Sindh by reducing the flows of Taunsa-Panjnand, and if needed be closed. 
Sindh Information Minister Shazia Marri said this at a media briefing after the meeting was held at Bilawal House to discuss water shortage in the province. The meeting was informed that due to lack of water in River Indus, Sindh was expected to face acute water shortage. 
Provincial Minister for Irrigation and Power, Syed Murad Ali Shah, had raised the issue of expected water shortages in a meeting with President Zardari on June 20 and in the light of that the latter called an urgent meeting here on Wednesday.
Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat ul Ebad Khan, Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Sardar Assef Ahmed Ali, ministers, Secretary General to President, Salman Farooqui, officials of the ministry of water and power, IRSA and WAPDA also attended the meeting. 
It was decided in the meeting that there would be no further storage in Tarbela, which had started from 17th June due to some technical problem in turbines. The decision to stop storing water in Tarbela was taken to meet the requirements of people in the downstream.
President Zardari reiterated the commitment to serve people as per the vision of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. He issued special directives to ensure that the land-grant policy should focus on women in particular. 
The President also gave directives to initiate a study on Manchar Lake and find ways to cleanse the polluted water even if it flows to the sea. “The sea must not be polluted with acid water”, she said while quoting the President.
About National Highway Authority, the major decisions taken regarding construction of highways were to immediately start work on Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway (M9) at a cost of Rs8 billion. Work on M9 will start in October 2009 and is expected to complete by the end of 2011. 
The President also approved a comprehensive uplift package worth over Rs24 billion for Larkana.
A special meeting on fisheries was held as a follow-up of President’s visit to the European Union (EU) in which it was decided that the Karachi Fish Harbour would be upgraded in accordance with the EU requirements. The President directed Sindh government to accelerate the fish production in rural Sindh. It was also decided that a welfare plan would be designed for the fishermen in Sindh, which would ensure better income opportunities for them. Besides, the fishermen, who were facing huge financial losses due to the closure of fishing work, will be compensated through Benazir Income Support Programme. 

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Furore in PA over water share cut

By: Mubashir Hassan

LAHORE - The reported curtailment of Punjab share of water and giving it to Sindh province sparked strong reaction in Punjab Assembly on Thursday, where legislators excluding those of PPP, resented the decision by delivering fiery speeches. 
Majority of members were furious over the development and resented the reported decision made in a high level meeting chaired by President Zardari the other day of reducing water flows from Taunsa and Panjnad for Punjab and halting water storage at Tarbella in order to overcome water shortage in Sindh. 
Though, the Irrigation Minister Raja Riaz, who belongs to PPP, assured the House that Punjab had not been deprived of its due share of water, the legislators clung to the demand of moving a resolution in the House to lodge protest with the federal government. The minister insisted that not even one percent of Punjab water was being given to any province. He pledged on floor of the House that he would resign as irrigation minister, if what he was saying turned out to be untrue later on. 
He said there was no need to bring any resolution in the House in this regard. 
Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly, Ch Zaheeruddin wanted the resolution to be passed by the assembly in any case despite assurance by the irrigation minister.
The Treasury was visibly divided on the issue, as assembly saw members from PML-N and PML-Q joining hands against PPP lawmakers, who had to do a lot of explaining over it after the combined onslaught by the two leagues. 
Senior Advisor to Punjab CM, Zulfiqar Khosa, however, managed to control the situation, when he told the House that he had just received a written message from Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif that Government would come up with its response over the issue on Friday (today) after consulting the ederal government. He said Punjab CM has also called an emergency meeting in the evening to ponder the situation and to resolve the conflict. This helped blocking of assembly resolution for at least one day; because, if it had been passed, as desired by the Opposition, it would not only have caused much embarrassment to the PPP, but also have put the future of coalition government in Punjab at a stake. 
It was Mian Muhammad Shafi of PML-Q, who raised the issue on assembly floor on a point of order, citing the decision of a high level meeting chaired by President Asif Ali Zardari in Karachi the other day. Another opposition member Mohsin Khan Leghari supported him. He said it would be highly unfair to deprive Punjab of its due share of water as the province was already facing acute water shortage. Opposition leader Ch Zaheeruddin said that decisions regarding Punjab’s water share should be made in Punjab. He said Punjab Government should take this issue very seriously before it was too late. He feared wide spread agitation in Punjab if the decision was not reverted. He also opposed halting of water storage at Tarbella, saying that it would affect generation of electricity.
Zaheer said he was astonished to see President Zardari, “who was now on a visit to Pakistan”, taking such decisions oblivious of their consequences. 
A PML-N legislator Waris Kallu diverted House’s attention towards another dimension of the issue in question, saying that Punjab had nothing to do with the subject matter, as IRSA was the right forum to settle water disputes among provinces. He, however, supported other MPAs on the issue. 
Kallo spoke in favour of Kalabagh Dam, while asserting that no one would be allowed to deprive Punjab of its due share of water. Taking part in the debate, Senior Advisor to Punjab government Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa challenged President Zardari’s authority to make such unilateral decisions. He called for convening of an emergency meeting of the federal cabinet to discuss the situation. He also asked Punjab 
Minister for Irrigation to take up the issue with Prime Minister. 
Responding to the concern shown by legislators, Raja Riaz told the House that President Zardari had directed IRSA authorities to ensure implementation of 1991 water accord, regarding distribution of water among the provinces, besides giving Sindh its share of water from Mangla Dam.The President had also directed IRSA not to store extra water at Tarbela till the water situation in Sindh gets improved, he added. Raja asked the 
chair to fix a day to hold debate on the issue. Ch Javed reminded irrigation minister that according to the Water Accord of 1991, Punjab had exclusive rights over water of Mangla Dam. As the issue was being hotly debated among the lawmakers, Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan intervened to add more fuel to the fire by saying, “We all should get united to avert an dacoity on the rights of Punjab”. He also asked Raja Riaz to join hands with other legislators since he was also a Punjabi. He also asked irrigation minister to collect details from federal government about the decision. The use of word “dacoity” by the Speaker irked displeasure of Raja Riaz, who lodge protest with Rana Iqbal over it. 
Raja told the Speaker that like him, he was also a Punjabi and if he (Speaker) was a Rana, then he was also a Rana. The Speaker later apologised to Raja Riaz over use of the word “dacoity”.
The Nation: Published: June 26, 2009
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Stopping water storage in Tarbela:

Not even 1% of Punjab’s water being cut: Riaz
* Senior minister says he will resign if province’s water share is reduced
* Khosa says Riaz should contact PM and tell him not to implement decision

By Rana Kashif

LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the PML-Quaid (PML-Q) stood united in the Punjab Assembly (PA) on Thursday against the release of Punjab’s water to Sindh. 

Both parties strongly opposed Wednesday’s decision at a high level meeting chaired by President Asif Ali Zardari. The meeting had decided to reduce the flow of Taunsa-Punjnad, and even to close it if needed. 

While defending the president’s decision, Senior Minister Raja Riaz, who is also the PPP’s parliamentary leader in the PA, said, “To heck with this ministry if any wrong is attributed to my party, which is the largest political party of the country.” 

Assurance: Riaz, who is also Punjab’s irrigation minister, said he could assure the House that not even one percent of Punjab’s water was being reduced, and he would resign from the ministry if the water was reduced.

The debate started when opposition MPA Mian Muhammad Shafi, speaking on a point of order, said according to press reports a high-level meeting chaired by Zardari had decided that since Sindh was expected to face acute water shortage, there would be no further water storage in Tarbela.

He said Zardari had directed the IRSA authorities to ensure water distribution among the provinces in line with the 1991 Water Accord, and Sindh’s due share from Mangla Dam. He demanded that a separate day be fixed for debate on the issue. Opposition MPA Mohsin Leghari said the decision was surprising given that Punjab was already facing a shortage of water. Leader of the Opposition in the PA Chaudhry Zaheerud Din said decisions about Punjab’s water should be made in Punjab, and immediate notice should be taken. Leghari said stopping the storage of water in Tarbela would shut down the turbines, and there would be no electricity generation. He said there was already a great shortage of electricity, and stopping the water would lead to a complete blackout in Punjab.

PML-N MPA Muhammad Waris Kahlo said the matter was to be decided by IRSA, and not Punjab. However, he said, no one would be allowed to deprive Punjab of its waters. He said the Kalabagh Dam, which was the need of the hour, was not being built, and now Punjab’s water was also being cut.

Contact PM: PML-N Punjab President and Senior Adviser to the Punjab government Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa said it was the matter of all Punjab, and the president should not take such decisions unilaterally. He appealed that a meeting of the federal cabinet be called immediately to discuss the issue. He said the irrigation minister should contact the prime minister (PM) and inform him that this should not be done. 

MPA Chaudhry Javed said according to the water accord, it was only Punjab that had right on the water of the Mangla Dam, and Punjab’s water would not be given to anyone. 

In reply, Riaz said Punjab was getting its full share of water.

Riaz said ‘tonga’ parties should not tell the PPP that it was discriminating against any province. 

Zaheer said the practice of disgracing political parties in the House should be stopped, adding that the opposition was playing a constructive role in the assembly. 

Meanwhile, Speaker Rana Iqbal asked what the solution should be if all that was being reported in the media was true. At this the opposition said, “Resign.”

Addressing the senior minister, the speaker said, “You also belong to Punjab and in case someone usurps the rights of Punjab and a dacoity is committed, we will have to collectively stop it.” He directed the minister to investigate the matter.

Khosa said if the senior minister’s words had hurt the opposition, he apologised on behalf of the minister and his own party. 

Riaz said he regretted that the speaker had used the word ‘dacoity’, and said, “Mr speaker, if you are a Punjabi, then I am also a Punjabi, and if you are a Rana, then I am also a Rana.” He said that there was no need to bring any resolution about the issue. 

The speaker said he apologised if his words had hurt Riaz’s feelings. Khosa said he had received a message from the Punjab chief minister that he would be holding a meeting on Thursday evening and its report would be presented in today’s (Friday) proceedings of the House.
Daily Times: Friday, June 26, 2009
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Sindh demands closure of Indus link canals
By Shamim-ur-Rahman 

Sindh Irrigation Minister Murad Ali Shah said Indus flow was the worst in five years, causing serious problems for the Kharif crop. He said that as of June 10, Sindh suffered 24pc shortage as compared to 14pc by Punjab. - APP/File photo
KARACHI: Despite opposition from Punjab, Sindh feels justified in pleading for closing Taunsa-Panjnad and Panjnad link canals and for a reduction in the indent of other provinces as the crop season in Sindh begins earlier.
Amid raging controversy on the water issue owing to an abnormal fall in the flow of Indus river, official sources on Thursday justified the demand as it was in line with a report of the 2005 technical committee on water resources.
Among other things, the report had maintained that the ‘lower Punjab tributary areas linked to Indus through the Chashma-Jhelum and Taunsa-Panjnad links cannot be treated as a permanent burden on Indus main’.
The link canals are inter-provincial canals and should be regulated as such. Instead of regulating these canals on the basis of the indent of one province, the Indus River System Authority should operate them on the basis of equitable distribution under the Water Accord on all Pakistan basis.
They were reacting to the sudden outburst in Punjab assembly against Wednesday’s decision to give immediate relief to Sindh by reducing the flows in Taunsa-Panjnad and, if needed, by closing the canal.
The decision to iron out differences was taken at a meeting chaired by President Asif Ali Zardari in Karachi.
Sindh Irrigation Minister Murad Ali Shah said Indus flow was the worst in five years, causing serious problems for the Kharif crop.
He pointed out that despite a very low discharge at Tarbela, the decision to raise pond level, due to silt entry in power plant turbine, from RL 1369.55 to 1375.50 from June 17 to 22 raised alarm bells as flows to Sindh from Chashma had been cut on June 18.
Mr Shah said in his presentation to the president he had pointed out that Sindh feared that there would be reduction in its canals to the extent of 40 per cent — from 132,000 to 80,000 cusecs.
This could damage cotton and sugarcane crops, besides hampering paddy and cotton sowing in upper Sindh.

In view of the situation, Sindh had proposed that the Taunsa-Panjnad link be closed and Panjnad canal should be fed from Jehlum-Chenab rivers, including Mangla.
The shortfall in Sindh should be augmented from Mangla having 2.773 MAF storage on June 20, compared to last year’s 2.028 MAF on the same date in 2008.
Sindh has suggested that Punjab canals on Indus should proportionately share losses with Sindh canals.
The province contends that the Indus basin is a contiguous system. It argues that since shortages in eastern rivers are supplemented from Indus through the two link canals, shortages in Indus should be supplemented by the eastern rivers through Panjnad.In this context, it was claimed that in 2008, when there was less storage in Mangla, transfer of water was allowed through the CJ link and the shortage was supplemented from Indus.
The sources said that Mangla storage on June 20 was 2.773 MAF as against 2.028 on the same date last year.Justifying the demand, Mr Shah said that a total of 2.227 MAF had been transferred from Indus to eastern rivers through the two link canals in the current Kharif season.
Sindh had raised concerns but they were ignored by Irsa, official sources said that if Sindh’s concerns were heeded to, there would have been 2.227 MAF in Tarbela. This would have offset the reduced flow in Indus.He said that as of June 10, Sindh suffered 24 per cent shortage as compared to 14 per cent by Punjab.Sindh maintains that balancing of supplies should be done during the sowing period, and not at a later stage.
DAWN: Friday, 26 Jun, 2009
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PML-N and Q slam move to close canal
By Intikhab Hanif 

President Zardari had decided to to reduce flows in Taunsa-Panjnad to meet requirements downstream because Sindh was expected to face massive shortages of up to 40 per cent. — APP/File photo.
LAHORE: The PML-N and PML-Q were up in arms in the Punjab assembly on Thursday over the reported decision of Irsa taken at a meeting presided over by President Asif Ali Zardari to give ‘Punjab’s share of water to Sindh’ by closing the Taunsa-Panjnad canal.
Legislators belonging to the Pakistan People’s Party remained silent and no one, including Speaker Rana Iqbal, appeared to believe provincial Irrigation Minister Raja Riaz’s statement that ‘not a single drop of water is being given to Sindh out of Punjab’s share’.
And to counter an insistent Raja Riaz, the PML-N senior minister read out a message from Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif that he had called a meeting of experts and assembly members in the evening to investigate the matter. ‘Findings of the meeting will be submitted in the house on Friday,’ he added.
Meanwhile, Irsa Chairman Bashir Ahmad Dahir told Dawn that neither the water of any province was being diverted to Sindh nor the canal was being closed for the purpose.The issue was raised in the provincial assembly by PML-Q’s Mian Shafi, who quoted press reports questioning the authority of Irsa to take the decision.
‘Our rights have been usurped. All canals have been closed,’ he said.

Waris Kallo of the PML-N said that according to the reported decision, Sindh would get an additional 25,000 cusecs of water, rendering the entire Punjab barren.
‘This is a great injustice to Punjab, which will never be tolerated,’ he said, adding that Irsa had no right to take such a decision.PML-Q’s Mohsin Leghari added fuel to the fire by saying the Taunsa-Panjnad canal had already been closed to benefit Sindh.
Opposition leader Chaudhry Zaheer regretted that the decision about Punjab had been taken somewhere else. ‘We shared our water with Sindh in the past and it would have been better if the decision was taken by Punjab itself. President Zardari came from abroad and took this decision,’ he remarked.Sardar Zulfikar Khosa of the PML-N said water was distributed among the four provinces under an accord and the president had no authority to unilaterally take the decision.
He urged the house to request the federal government to immediately convene a meeting of the cabinet or the Council of Common Interests. He also asked the irrigation minister to contact the prime minister for sorting out differences.Raja Riaz said that Punjab’s water was not being given to Sindh. ‘I will resign if it happens.’
He said the country was facing water shortages because of a reduction in the water level by 90 feet in Tarbela. The level had now started rising because of an improvement in inflows and conditions would further improve over the next two days, he added.But while giving the assurance, the minister took exception to what he said allegations against President Zardari for taking the ‘unjust’ decision. ‘PPP has its roots in all provinces. We have given blood for the country, what to talk of water,’ he said.
Chaudhry Zaheer said no one had criticised the president. ‘We and Mr Khosa just talked of our rights.’Mr Khosa urged the irrigation minister to obtain a technical report of the current water situation and present facts to the house after comparing it with the figures of last year.‘Please do not mislead the house if the press has shown irresponsibility in giving the news.’
The advice from the chair and Mr Khosa angered the minister. He protested over the speaker’s remarks that someone was ‘snatching’ the rights of Punjab. ‘Trust my words that Punjab will not lose even a single drop of water,’ he said.
DAWN: Thursday, 25 Jun, 2009
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Magsi accuses irrigation minister of being ‘naïve’
By Habib Khan Ghori 

Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro presides over the session of the provincial assembly in Karachi. - APP photo
KARACHI: Food Minister Sardar Nadir Ali Magsi has accused provincial Irrigation Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah of ‘being naive’ in matters of irrigation, while alleging that a new proposed project for the construction of a canal was only being funded so that those ‘with vested interests’ could obtain land near it and deprive areas currently under cultivation.
Mr Magsi was speaking during the general discussion on the Sindh budget at the Sindh Assembly on Thursday. Discussion continued on a day where 26 MPAs spoke on the budget, bringing the total number of speakers on the matter to 105. Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro presided over the session from 11.30am to 8pm, and adjourned proceedings till 9am on Friday.
The day was marked by Mr Magsi’s dissenting voice, who minced no words in alleging that his district, newly carved out Kamber and Shahdadkot, was being ‘totally ignored’.

district, Jafarabad and Jhal Magsi (both in Balochistan), were ‘far more developed’ than his area.
He said the Saifullah Magsi canal had been built in the PPP’s earlier tenure in government and had been named after his father. He said there are currently complaints that water from the canal is being stolen by people in Balochistan, and hence a new canal scheme has been included in the budget.
It was here that he criticised the irrigation minister and asserted that he had ‘not even been consulted regarding the project’, despite the fact that it fell in his district. He alleged that those with ‘vested interests’ would have the land near the canal allotted to them and would then deprive the land currently under cultivation by stealing water.
He called for people in his area to raise the issue, as it was ‘a matter of their survival’, adding that he had taken up the matter with President Asif Ali Zardari, who had ordered that work be stopped on the canal. He asked if the canal scheme had been dropped by the late Benazir Bhutto when she was in government, why it was being built now.
Speaking later in the session, Irrigation Minister Shah said that there was no doubt that the PPP had opposed the Thal canal when the project began, but as over Rs8 billion had been spent on it so far by other regimes, the expenditure could not be allowed to go to waste.
DAWN: Friday, 26 Jun, 2009
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More water for Kharif, power generation
By Kalbe Ali 

View of Tarbela lake. The water level in Tarbela Dam is at 1,405 feet against its dead level of 1,369 feet.—APP/File
ISLAMABAD: Rising temperatures in the Himalayas are melting more snow and recent rains almost all over Pakistan have improved inflows in rivers, making available more water for irrigation for the Kharif season and hydroelectric generation.
Water inflows in rivers rose by more than 33 per cent to 178,300 cubic feet per second on Saturday compared to the same date last year. 
The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) said that more water was available now for irrigation during the Kharif season. Water supply for Sindh’s Kharif crops has already commenced since the start of this month. 
The increase in inflows can also improve hydroelectric generation when water will be released for Punjab next month. The country is currently experiencing an electricity shortage of 3,000 megawatts. 

Citing a reduction in Sindh’s demand for irrigation water, an official of the food and agriculture ministry said that recent rains would recharge reservoirs because outflows had reduced.
  
‘Apart from Sindh, water demand during this season is mainly from orchards in Punjab and those growing fodder on commercial basis,’ said a senior official of the ministry. 
The inflow in Tarbela Dam was 53,900 cusecs against an outflow of 15,000 cusecs, inflow in Indus River at Chashma was 107,700 cusecs and an outflow of 81,700 cusecs, inflow at Mangla was 54,800 cusecs and outflow was 34,600 cusecs. 
The inflow in Chenab at Head Marala was 16,300 cusecs against the outflow of 8,700 cusecs. Irsa officials said that water reservoirs would have 38 per cent more water this year than last year
Referring to water availability, an Irsa official said that that the flow downstream of Kotri Barrage had also increased to almost 5,000 cusecs compared to 3,100 last year.
DAWN: Sunday, 19 Apr, 2009

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Water crisis in Pakistan agriculture
How to manage scientificially?
By DR. S. M. ALAM, M. A. KHAN AND DR. R. ANSARI.
Nuclear Institute of Agriculture, Tandojam, Pakistan
Jul 03 - 09, 2000
Water is an important component of life. Allah has created every moving (living) creature from water (Surah 24, An-Nur, Ayet 45). We need about 15 glasses of water daily and human body contains about 60% of water. Without food we can survive for nearly 80 days, but only a few days without water. Fresh water for human and agriculture use is only 0.008 % on the earth. A shortage of fresh water is probably going to be most serious resource problem the world will face after a few years from now. As with food, the problem of water is not one of the global shortage, but one of uneven distribution. Three-quarters of the fresh water on the planet is held in the polar icecaps and glaciers and so is unavailable for use. Where water is plentiful, people are frequently few, and vice versa. The most water- rich country in terms of the run-off from rain-fall to population is Iceland, with more than 500,000 cubic meters per person per year; the most water- poor is Egypt, with just 0.02 cubic meters. Water is absolutely essential for plant life. Plants use more water than any other substances they absorb. The function of soil moisture in plant growth is very important. Excessive quantity of water in soil inhibits plant growth and makes drainage essential. When soil moisture is not enough drought, condition prevails leading to ultimate death of plants.
Many parts of the world are confronted with water scarcity, for both irrigation and human needs. Some 70 per cent of the water, people use goes to irrigation. Since 1950, the amount of irrigated land has tripled, and one-third of the world's food is grown on it. Without that increase, the world might now be starving. The great controversies over distribution of river water and construction of reservoirs, dams, barrages and link canals are very common among the various countries of the world. Providing water for irrigation and for cities will require damming more rivers, flooding more valleys, carrying out more giant water engineering schemes. Such projects are often hugely expensive and not only in economic terms. Large dams frequently involve massive changes in the use of land. That means not only the displacement of people from their homes but the loss of farm land, disturbance to water tables, build-up of silt, and other environmental costs. Of course dams also produce water for irrigation and for generating hydroelectricity, controlling floods, producing fish and even providing recreational facilities but serious attempts to measure the benefits from dams suggest that the gains are often smaller than the costs.
The disputes over the distribution of river waters are very common in the human society . Water resources often cross national boundaries, making it very easy for one country to 'steal' the water that should be delivered to another. No-one can predict which of several points of tension will result in armed conflict, but it is easy to list some candidates. They include, Threats to dam the upper Blue and White Nile; The diversion of water from the Sea of Galilee into Israel's National Water Carriers the Gabcikovo dam on the Danube in Slovakia; the damming of the upper reaches of the Tigris and Euphrates by Turkey and the Euphrates by Syria, distribution of water of river Ganges between Bangladesh and India, construction of dam on river Kavari between two southern provinces of India. The distribution of water's shares of Indus had been a source of conflict between India and Pakistan, but in 1959 an agreement was reached whereby the waters would be shared. These are the few examples of this scenario. All over the world, the lower riparians on rivers are usually complaining against the upper riparians for not giving their due share of water, but human nature prevails every where and results in disturbed situation. While there is no way of predicting whether these pressure points—or any of the other dozen situations around the world—will erupt into war, it is easy to see that control over water will come to be seen as a much more important strategic issue both between countries and within them.

a length of 18,00 miles( 2,900 km).The glaciers of Siachin (75 km), Baltro (62 km), Hispar (53), Biafo (50km), Shyok, Shingar, Hunza, Gilgit, Astor. These mighty glaciers and other streams with 30 tributaries constitutes a surface area of 1220 sq kms (471 sq miles ) carry snow melt waters to the Indus from the main Hamalayan range, the Karakoram range, the Nanga Parbat, the Kohistan ranges etc mostly in summer season . The river crosses the western Kashmir border and then turns south and southwest to enter Pakistan. In Pakistan, it emerges from the mountain highlands flows as a rapid stream between the Swat and Hunza regions and proceeds onwards through North- West Frontier region and crosses the salt range to enter semi-arid Punjab plains where it is joined by the Panjnad (near Mithankot). The Indus receives its most notable tributaries from the Punjab to the eastern sides, including Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlaj rivers. After receiving the waters of the Punjab rivers . Shifting to the south-west, the Indus becomes much wider and enters into the Sindh region near Kashmoor and then flows to a slow speed, depositing large quantities of silt along its course. Indus begins its deltaic stage (3,000 sq.m ) and breaks into distributaries that reach the Arabian sea at various points southeast of Karachi.
Water resources system is the life line for Pakistan. It is a source of life and energy. It is the most critical factor of production in Pakistan's agriculture. To increase agricultural production, land is not a limiting factor as there is more cultivable land available that can ever be properly irrigated. It is a universal solvent and cleanser. It has a very economic value, which is at a constant rise with population. Pakistan is arid to semi-arid country, located between the longitude 61° east to 76° east and between latitude 23° north to 37° north. Total area of Pakistan is 79.61 million hectares. Population of the country is about 150 million and nearly 75 percent it lives in the rural areas. Agriculture is the main stay of Pakistan's economy, contributing 35 percent to the gross domestic product and providing 60 percent of the labour force. Moreover, nearly 60 percent of the total export of the country originates from agriculture. Total annual cropped is about 19.72 million hectares. Out of which, 15.3 million hectares are irrigated areas, about 75 % (11.4 mha.) is irrigated through canals, l9 % (2.9 mha.) through tube wells 2 % (0.3 mha.) through wells and remaining 4 %(0.4 mha.) through tanks and other sources. Major crops grown are wheat, rice, cotton, maize and sugarcane which together make about 63 percent of the total cropped area. Production of three important crops. namely rice, cotton and sugarcane as well as 90 percent of wheat and most of maize is virtually confined to irrigated areas. The climate of the country is favourable for two crop's season under irrigated during the year.
In Pakistan, the total water supplies available to agriculture come from three sources rainfall, surface water from the River Indus and its tributaries, and the ground water, and also from sewage water and sea water. The mean annual rainfall varies from less than 100 mm in Sindh to more than 1000 mm in the foot-hills and northern mountains with an average of about 400 mm. About 60% of this rain comes during the monsoon season (July through September). Much of the summer rains are not available for crop production due to rapid run-off because of torrential showers. At other occasions, rain may be so light that the precipitation evaporates before the water can penetrate into the root zone. However, the contribution of rain to crops in the irrigated areas of Indus Basin is estimated at about 1650 thousand hectares meter. Thus 10 mm of rain water provides 100 cubic meter of water per hectare. Rainfall alone is inadequate to sustain more than a very low level of agricultural production in the semi-arid conditions which prevail over most of Pakistan. Ground water is the second major source for irrigation. The seepage through rainfall, rivers and vast canal network has created a large and readily manageable acquirer underlying the Indus basin. The total recharge to the groundwater system of the Indus Basin has been estimated at 56 MAF per annum. Presently, the ground water is being developed canal commands of Indus plain for the purpose of irrigation on the large scale and is of the order of 44 MAF per annum . There is a huge source of highly saline sea water along the 1,050 km coast of Pakistan along the Arabian sea, but it cannot be used either for drinking or irrigation unless desalinized. Some palm and coconut trees can be grown in coastal belt using saline water. With the extension of big cities and towns the quality of sewage water is increasing considerably. It is mostly used for the production of high value crops like vegetables, fodder, oil palm, coconut etc in the vicinity of cities and towns. However, there is a common belief that the vegetables raised from sewage water are not safe for consumption from hygienic point of view. Nevertheless, there is potential for treating the sewage water for recycling or using it for irrigation purposes as is being done in many other countries.
Irrigation system of Pakistan has been developed from the Indus waters more than hundred years ago and is now the largest integrated irrigation system in the world. The flow of Indus river system is the prime source of surface water resources of the country. It covers gross area of 16 million hectares of which 88 per cent is culturable. It has 48 principle canals, emerging out of 20 river diversion structures. Many of the canals are even large by world standard; 15 of them having capacities of over 280 cubic meter per second. The cumulative operating capacity of these canals is 7323 cubic meters per second and their annual conveyance capacity is 331 billion cubic meter. These canals traverse about 61,000 kilometers to command the 15.50 million hectares of culturable area through 90000 watercourses and filled channels numbering 1,07,000. Each watercourse serves about 160 hectares of land on the average. In addition, there are 23 barrages, 45 main canals, 12 huge inter river link canals transferring bulk water supplies from the western rivers to the eastern rivers.
Presently, Pakistan irrigation system encompasses two major dams such as (I) Mangla - The main technical features of this dam is as: World's third largest earth filled dam, built on river Jhelum; Height-380 ft. above river bed; Length 10300 ft. Gross water storage capicity-5.88 MAF, also used for Power generation; Live storage capacity -538 MAF; .Main spillway capacity -870,000 cusecs; Emergency spillway capacity 230,000 cusecs; Lake area- l00sq.miles, (II) Terbela- The main feature of this is as: The world largest earth and rock - filled dam on one of the world's most important river the Indus; Height- 485ft. above river bed; Length 9000 ft; gross storage capicity ,11.3 MAF; Live storage capacity- 9.4 MAF; service spillway capacity 6,50000 cusecs; Auxiliary spillway capicity- 840,000 cusecs; Lake area- 100 sq. miles. ,The Terbela dam is known as the best hydel power station in Pakistan having a capacity of generating 3,478 MW of electricity. The Chashma is the biggest reservoir which help in the irrigation of millions of hectares of agricultural lands.
In addition to the grand canal system, there are about 185,000 private tube wells with average capacity of 30 liters per second and about l5000 public tube wells of capacity of 60 to 120 liters per second. At present these tube wells pump about 41 billion cubic meters water and provide 30 per cent of the total irrigation water to exclusively more than two million hectares in addition to supplementing some canal fed areas. Water available at the farm gate after accounting farm losses and run-offs estimated that about 60% of water which comes to 35 MAF is lost during conveyance through canals, distributaries and water courses and also goes to Arabian sea at Karachi annually which is a huge national waste. This water must be harnessed if our posterity have to be saved from feminine like situation.
Total available water resources of the country from the rivers as well as fresh ground water come to 160 million acre feet (136 MAF from rivers i.e 94 MAF from Indus; 20 MAF from Jhelum and 26 MAF from Chenab ;and 24 MAF from fresh ground water sources). Out of this, 101.4 MAF reaches at the modules or the starting points of the watercourses, after deducting losses of the system, i. e seepage from the canal and distributaries, 35 MAF water was being wasted into the sea during flood season every year. Another available water 45 per cent is lost due to seepage from the water courses, which in absolute terms is 45.6 MAF, thus total water reaching at the farm gate remains about 56 MAF. About 15 percent additional water is lost due to improper irrigation applications, which in absolute terms is 8.4 MAF. The total requirement of the country in the year 2000 is estimated to be 78.7 MAF, which means that there is a shortage of 22.9 MAF at the farm gate for which there seems to be no supplementary source at present. Pakistan needed 170 million acre feet of additional water in future to meet irrigation and other requirements of the people. This was not possible unless new storage dams were built. India was planning to build Salal dam on the Chenab river and diverting the Indus river water from the Wooler lake in occupied Kashmir.
Conclusion
To overcome water shortage crisis, the solution lies in the proper water management at watershed, reservoirs, conveyance system i. e, at canals and distributaries level as well as watercourses and farm application levelling of open channels and use of pipes to transport water for reducing seepage losses. To prepare cemented water beds at the bottom of the base. Building of more dams in the country is also good solution to solve the problem of water shortage. Million of acre feet of valuable water which was flowing into the sea every year could be stored for irrigation at a time when it was needed the most. We should build the Kalabagh dam for the betterment of the country from acute water shortage in future. However, officials of each province should be consulted for the construction as well as for equal share and distribution of water. It is also suggested that if any province was prepared some water out of his own share to other provinces it should be accepted as a gesture of good will and not as a matter of right . The Kalabagh dam project should be supplemented with supportive irrigation projects in Balochistan, Sindh, Cholistan and the NWFP to take the benefits of additional water available from the Kalabagh reservoirs to take their respective areas. Experts say that it was the most researched and investigated project of the world approved by the world top irrigation and dam experts on which Rs.1 billion had been spent so far on investigation. Recently, parts of Balochistan, Cholistan and some parts of Sindh had experienced drought and famine like condition a few months back where a number of casualties had been taken place besides the loss of 40% of cattle. The politicians have to use their wisdom rather than emotion to come to a decision in the country's national interest and the people in the issue of building as many as reservoirs as possible in the minimum possible time, making real and actual policy involving the water crisis, collection of rainwater in depression. Water source development needs to be accorded due priority in the rain- fed areas where small or mini dams can be constructed in proximity to the commended area.

The crisis of water shortage for irrigation can only be over come and proper individual farmer for water management practices. Some of the points to be kept in mind are as: evaluation of available water resources, development and improvement of existing irrigation systems, judicious and efficient use of available irrigation water, control of evaporation from water surface in reservoirs and canals conjunctive use of surface and ground water, evaluation of water requirement of various crops, knowledge of modern techniques of crop and water management, active participation of farmers in water users association, better understanding between government and farmers community. The tail end farmers on a watercourse do not receive their due share. This is due to prevailing technological and socio- political conditions. This unreliability of water supply at the tail ends of canals and watercourses due to the situation and distribuatries and the presence of influential people at the head of canals seriously affects the morale and production of the tail end farmers. Reliability and equity of water distribution is imperative to provide opportunities to all farmers in a canal command area to increase crop production. Massive education in proper use of water along with modern techniques of land leveling can save substantial quantum of water. To obtain the best results, effective co-ordinations between the departments of irrigation and agriculture is the cardinal point for success. Let we Pakistani pray to Almighty Allah in a true sense for the betterment of Agriculture and for the rainfall to submerge our valuable dried lands for the cause of human remedy.