The Indus River System Authority (IRSA) Saturday decided to appoint an Independent-monitor to resolve water distribution issues.

According to 24NewsHD TV Channel, the Minister of State for Information Farrukh Habib said Prime Minister Imran Khan wanted to take all the provinces along with him on the issue of water.

The federal minister said right now, there was a 22 percent water shortage in Punjab and 17 percent in Sindh.

Farrukh said opposition leaders should not give an impression that could harm the interests of Pakistan.

He said 10 big dams would be constructed within the next 10 years that would able to store an additional 13 million acre-feet of water, making farmers prosperous and preventing floods.

Federal Minister said the new dams would generate more 10,000 MW cheap price electricity. He said Pakistani public institutions had become stronger during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government as WAPDA had issued 500 million Euro bonds to the international market.

Punjab Minister for Irrigation Mohsin Khan Leghari said IRSA must check the water disappearance through an independent body as his government could not imagine snatching the right of water of any farmer in the country.

So, Mohsin said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari should first read the water distribution policy as provinces were fully authorized to use their share of water as they wish.

Talking about the shortage of water in the province, he said there was 45 percent shortage of water in Punjab and 9 percent in Sindh during the last month. And now, Punjab was facing 22 percent and Sindh 17 percent water shortage, he added.

He said IRSA should sit with an independent body and watch where the water was going at the moment and who was snatching it. He also confirmed that IRSA had decided to depute an independent monitor to check the water supply among the provinces.

Mohsin said Punjab had taken water from other canals of the province and released in Taunsa Panjnad Link Canal to enhance the flow of water in it.

Opposition Leader in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh said the issue of water had made more political than technical in the country.

Reporter: Zeeshan Bhatti