Murad urges PM to intervene as Sindh faces 41% water shortage

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has written to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, expressing concern over what he described as a severe water shortage in the province and alleged mismanagement by the Indus River System Authority (IRSA), warning that the situation could adversely affect agriculture and the economy.

In his letter, Murad said Sindh was receiving only 57,867 cusecs of water against its allocated share of 98,700 cusecs, resulting in a 41 percent shortage. He noted that the shortage in Punjab stood at only 10 percent despite overall water availability in the river system improving.

The chief minister said river inflows were around 40 percent higher than the corresponding period last year, while water levels in the country's major reservoirs had increased by 16 percent. Despite the improvement in overall water availability, he said, Sindh's share continued to decline.

Murad stated that water supplies to Sindh's canal system had fallen sharply, with canal withdrawals decreasing from 86,293 cusecs to 57,867 cusecs. At the same time, he claimed that water discharge through the CJ and TP Link canals had increased by 16 percent.

He alleged that priority was being given to filling reservoirs rather than ensuring provinces received their due share under the agreed distribution mechanism.

"The severe shortage in lower riparian areas has created serious concern among farmers and related sectors," the chief minister said in the letter.

Murad urged the federal government to postpone reservoir filling operations until the arrival of the monsoon season so that provincial water requirements could be met first.

He also warned that Sindh and Balochistan were being affected by the failure to maintain required water levels at Sindh's barrages. Despite its own difficulties, he said, Sindh was continuing to cooperate in supplying water to Balochistan.

The chief minister called on the prime minister to direct IRSA to ensure water distribution in accordance with the provisions of the 1991 Water Apportionment Accord.

Murad warned that if the shortage was not addressed immediately, agricultural activities, crop production and the broader economy could face further setbacks in the coming weeks.