Water Apportionment Accord (WAA)

APPORTIONMENT OF WATERS OF INDUS RIVER SYSTEM BETWEEN THE PROVINCES OF-PAKISTAN AGREEMENT 1991 (A CHRONOLOGICAL EXPOSE) INDUS RIVER SYSTEM AUTHORITY Government of Pakistan Islamabad APPORTIONMENT OF THE WATERS OF THE INDUS RIVER SYSTEM BOWEEN THE PROVINCES OF PAKISTAN SECRET APPORTIONMENT OF THE WATERS OF THE INDUS RIVER SYSTEM BETWEEN THE PROVINCES OF PAKISTAN As a follow-up to the meeting of the Chief Ministers at Lahore on March 3, 1991, a meeting of the representatives of the four provinces was held at Lahore on March 04, 1991. Another meeting was held at Karachi on March 16, 1991. The list of participants is attached. The participants agreed on the following points: 1. There was an agreement that the issue relating to Apportionment of the Waters of the Indus River S'.ystem should be settled as quickly as possible, 2. In the light of the accepted water distributional principles the following I\. apportionment was agreed to: "-iv~\\~J ~~­ ~~ F1,, ~~\ k ~~ (Fig. in MAF) PROVINCE PUNJAB SINDH* N.W.F.P. (a) (bl CIVIL CANALS* * BA LOCH I ST AN KHARIF 37.07 33.94 3.48 1.80 2.85 77.34 + 1.80 RABI 18.87 14.82 2 .30 1.20 1.02 37.01 + 1.20 ~ · Including already sanctioned Urban and Industrial uses for Metropolitan Karachi. Unguagcd CivilCanals above the rim stations. TOTAL 55.94 48 .76 5.78 3.00 3.87 114.35 + 3.00 3. N.W.F.P/Baluchistan Project:, which are under execution have been provided their authorised quota of water as existing uses. 4. Balance river supplies (including flood supplies and future storages) shall be distributed as below: .E.UD,iab. 37 Sin.db 37 Balochistao 12 NW.EE 14 Total 100% 5. Industrial and Urban Water supplies for Metropolitan city, for which . there were sanctioned allocations will be accorded priority. 6. The need for storages, wherever feasible on the Indus and other rivers was admitted and recognised by the participants for planned future agricultural development. 7. The need for certain minimum escapage to sea, below Kotri, to check \ . sea instrusion was recognised. Sindh held the view, that the optimum tv~ \\~~ . }~vel was 10 M.A.F.1 which was discussed at length, while other ~~ ~tudies indicated lower/higher figures. It was, therefore, decided that further studies would be undertaken to establish the minimal escapage needs down stream Kotri. 8. There would be no restrictions on the Provinces to undertake new projects within their agreed shares. 9. No restrictions are placed on small schemes not exceeding 5000 acres above elevation of 1200 ft. SPD. 10. No restrictions are placed on developing irrigation uses in the Kurram/ Gomal/Kohat basins, so long as these do not adversely affect the existing uses on these rivers. There are no restrictions on Baluchistan, to develop the water resources of the Indus right bank tributaries, flowing through its 2 12. The requirements of, LBOD will be met out of the flood supplies in accordance with t he agreed sharing formula. 13. For the implementation of this accord, the need to establish an Indus River System Autho,rity was recognised and accepted . It would have headquarters at Lahore and would have represent ation from all the four provinces. 14. a) The system-wise allocation will be worked out separately, on ten daily basis and will be attached with this agreement as part and parcel of it. b) The record of actual average system uses for the period 1977 82, would form the guide line for developing a future regulation pattern. These ten daily uses would be adjusted pro-rata to correspond to the indicated seasonal allocations of the different canal systems and would form the basis for sharing shortages and surpluses on all Pakistan basis. c) The existing reservoirs would be operated w ith priority for the irrigation uses of the Provinces. d) The provinces will have the freedom within their allocations to modify system-wise and period-wise uses. e) All efforts would be made to avoid wastages. Any surpluses . / rA may be used by another province, but this would not establish V }t;if( k:ight~tQ~- h uses •• c)1>)' ! ,~ ii/1 I it . Ty Ilk,.~., t....t C.M. Punjab C.M. Sindh C.M. NWFP C.M. Baluchistaf)/5' :::::~~~~. cc : ~&ir~~::Jamall Shah Mehmo~ """~ • Muzaffar Hus·sain tv].oosmA!i Khan Mir\f ~i i Magsi Qureshi Minister Law Minister Finance Minister Hom Minister Finance ..cP ·Jh M~ Adviser , / ~✓ 3 'V\M J Mohammad .wn1~ Secretary ol~r - 9 / Rtlfl,.,-~-,, 11 .; ' . . • -/1 ACTUl AVERAGE SYSTEM USES (1911-82) 1 . 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11 . 12. 1 3. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. LIST OF PARTICIPANTS Mr. Ghulam Hyder Wyne Mr. Jam Sadiq Ali Mr. Mir Afzal Khan Mr. Mir Taj Muhammad Jamali Mr. Shah Mehmood Qureshi Mr. Muzaffar Hussain shah Mr. Mohsin Ali Khan Mr. Zulfiqar ali Magsi Mr. Farid Khan Toofan Mr. Mazhar Ali Mr. Muhammad Alam Baloch Mr. Khalid Aziz Mr. Muhammad Amin Mr. Rana Khurseed Anwer Mr. Pervez Masud Mr. M.H. Siddique Mr. Abdul Aziz Shaikh Mr. Allah Bux Ba loch Mr. Muhammad Ibrahim Mr. Faqir Ahmed Paracha 4 Chief Minister, Punjab Chief Minister, Sindh Chief .Minister, N.W.F.P. Chief Minister, Balochistan Minister Finance, Punjab Minister Law, Sindh Minister Finance, N.W.F.P. Minister Home, Balochistan Minister for Irrigation, Government of N.W.F.P. Advisor, Government of Punjab ACS (l&P)/Advisor, Government of Sindh ACS (~&DJ, Government of N.W.F.P. Secretary (l&P), Government of Balochistan Secretary (l&P), Government of Punjab Chief Secretary, Government of Punjab Director Regulation, Government of Punjab Advisor (WD), Government of Sindh XEN, Government of N.W.F.P. XEN, Government of Balochistan Secretary (l&P), Government of N.W.F.P. From: Maj Gen (Retd.) Agha Manzoor Rauf Additional Secretary (Water) D.O. o. WA-13( 199)/88 Government of Pakistan MINISTRY OF WATER A D POWER Islamabad, the 25th March, 1991 Subject: - APPORTIONMENT OF THE WATERS OF THE INDUS RIVER SYSTEM BETWEEN THE PROVINCES. My dear You would recall that in accordance with para 14 (a) of the Agreement signed between the Provinces on the subject issue, the system wise allocation have to be worked out separately, on ten daily basis and attached with the aforementioned agreement as a part of it. Accordingly, I am sending herewith a statement of average canal withdrawals for the period from I 977-78 to 1981-82. You are requested to finalize the I 0-daily averages sy tern wise, through mutual consultations. A reply in the matter may kindly be provided by 30th March, 1991. With regards, Encl: As above Ch. Mazhar Ali, Adviser to the Punjab Irrigation and Power Department, Lahore. Mr. Mohammad Allam Baloch, Additional Chief Secretary (l&P)/ Adviser Irrigation and Power Department and Adviser (Technical) to the Government of Sind, Karachi . Mr. Khalid Aziz, Additional Chief Secretary, Planning and Development Department Government ofNWFP, Peshawar. Mr. Mohammad Amin, Secretary, Irrigation and Power Department, Goverrunent of Baluchistan, Quetta. Yours sincerely, (----Sd----) 5 BY SPECIAL MESSENGER Copy forwarded for information and necessary follow up action forwarded to Mr. AsifH. Kazi CEA/, CFFC, Islamabad. Maj Gen. (Retd) Agha Manzoor Rauf, Additional Secretary, (W) Punjab Period (Indus Canals) a/ Aor 1 15.7 2 15.9 3 21.8 May J 24.4 2 27.4 3 28.3 Jun 1 30.2 2 30.9 3 31.2 July 1 31.1 2 27.8 3 2t.2 Au2 1 26.0 2 27.8 3 31.2 Seo 1 32.1 2 31.4 3 30.4 Kharif 9.88 (MAF) CANALS WITHDRAWALS ( I000xcs) (1977-78 to 198 1-82) Tr immu+ SVC (L) Canals 6.8 7.2 11.1 14.1 14.7 15.4 15.9 16.3 16.1 16.2 14.0 13.2 12.7 15.2 16.8 16.8 16.7 16.8 5.17 ',!} Jhelum Total Chenab Punjab Sinclh Zone Canal Canals Canals Withdrawals 34.8 57.3 33.9 37.1 60.2 34.9 44.9 77~ 34.3 51.1 89.6 44.0 54.4 96.5 52.4 55.8 99.5 66.3 56.9 103.0 84.1 58.4 105.6 101.8 59.7 107.0 111.6 59.3 106.6 115.4 53.2 95.0 101.4 51.2 90.6 92.0 53.6 92.3 91.6 59.5 102.5 88.3 62.6 110.6 87.5 61.5 110.4 91.9 60.2 108.3 92.6 57.9 105.1 90.7 19.61 34.66 28.55 Thal+Ta unsa+Panjnad Canals. Including Civil Canals. 7 KP Baloch. Canals Total Canals !ll 0.9 8.4 100.5 0.3 9.7 105.J 0.0 10.5 122.6 0.4 10. l 144.l 0.8 10.1 159.8 1.2 10.4 177.4 2.0 10.5 199.6 2.0 10.4 219.8 2.8 10.3 23t .7 3.5 9.9 235.4 3.2 9.3 208.9 3.3 8.9 194.8 3.3 8.7 195.9 3.5 9.1 203.4 3.5 9.3 210.9 3.7 10.0 216.0 3.7 10.3 214.9 3.9 10.5 210.2 0.85 3.55 67.61 Punjab Period (Indus Canals) a/ Oct 1 29-.4 2 26.1 3 21.7 Nov 1 16.7 2 16.3 3 13.6 Dec 1 12.7 2 12.7 3 8.2 Jan 1 3.5 2 5.2 3 9.6 Feb 1 12.5 2 12.9 3 11.3 Mar 1 11.4 2 13.1 3 15.0 Rabi 5.07 (MAF) Annual 14.95 CANAL WITHDRAWALS (lO00xcs (1977-78 to 1981-82) Trimmu+ Jhelum Total Chenab Sindh SVC (L) Punjab Canals Zone Canal Canals Canals Withdrawals 16.2 51.1 96.7 79.4 15.0 46.7 87.8 63.4 12.2 43.5 77.4 50.8 8.6 39.7 65.0 45.0 6.a 37.1 60.2 43.3 5.8 35.7 55.1 41.4 6.5 35.9 55.1 40.0 7.5 34.8 55.0 39.5 8.0 25.7 41.9 35.6 11.8 12.9 28.2 19.2 7.5 15.4 28.1 21.7 0.8 21.2 31.6 37.5 2.1 27.6 42.2 43.2 4.9 32.4 50.2 38.1 5.9 27.9 45.1 37.6 6.9 31.8 50.1 37.1 9.6 35.1 57.8 37.8 10.4 35.S 60.9 35.6 2.93 11.86 19.86 14.98 8.10 31.47 54.52 43.53 Thal+Taunsa+Pa njnad Ca na ls. hl Including Civil Canals. KP Baloch Canals Total Canals .!!l 3.8 7.5 187.4 3.3 7.6 162.1 3.3 7.6 139.1 2.7 7.0 119.7 2.9 6.5 112.9 2.1 6.2 104.8 2.2 5.9 103.2 1.8 5.9 102.2 1.5 6.1 85.1 2.1 3.2 52.7 1.7 2.4 53.9 2.3 2.3 73.7 1.8 4.0 91.2 1.8 5.1 95.2 1.5 5.2 89.4 1.8 5.5 94.5 1.4 5.5 102.5 0.8 5.8 103.1 0.78 2.00 37.62 1.63 5.55 105.23 MINUTES OF THE MERING OF COUNCIL OF COMMON INTEREST Held on MARCH 21, 1991 SECRET/IMMEDIATE CABINb SECRETARIAT (CABINET DIVISION) No. CCl-2/M/91. Islamabad, the 26th March 1991 A copy of the Decisions of the meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) held at 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, the 21st March, 1991 in the Cabinet Room· of the Prime Minister's Secretariat, Islamabad, is sent herewith for information and necessary action in terms of rule 14 of Rules of Procedure of the Council of Common Interests (CCI). ~ 1.- Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission. ·i w.~ ·:: ; \ i Secretary, Finance Division. • . ' j r'•:. Secretary, Water & Power Division. c,li . i :.. \ ,. Secretary, Information and Broadcasting / . . , , ~: All Chief Secretaries . r- I ' : JL.,, ; I / • ,. (S: \ :\'I l J,i ? \ • J ½"t). ~ i i \ ("\ \ \ 9 (GHAFOOR MIRZA) Joint Secretary of the Cabinet 4/CCl-2/91 4/CCl-2/91 4/CCl-2/91 4/CCl-2/91 (Decision 4 (IV) 4/CCl-2/91 .G.as e. No 4/CCl-2/0J. Apportionment of Indus Waters to the four Provinces Dated 21 .03.1991 DECISION I. The Council of Common Interests (CCI) took note of the summary dated 20th March, 1991 submitted by Ministry of Water & Power and accorded its approval to the agreement on apportionment of waters of the Indus River System attached as An'nex-I to the Summary and reproduced below: 1) There wa s an agreement th at the issue re la t ing to Apportionment of the Waters of the Indus River System should be settled as quickly as possible. 2) In the light of the accepted water distributional principles the following apportionment was agreed to: (Fig . in MAF) Province Kharif Rabi Punjab 37.07 18.87 Sindh • 33.94 14.82 N.W.F.P. (a) 3.48 2.30 (b) Civi l Canals*• 1.80 1.20 Balochistan 2.85 1.02 77.34 37 .01 + + 1.80 1.20 Including already sanctioned Urban and Industrial uses for Metropolitan Karachi. Unguaged Civil Canals above the rim stations. Total 55.94 48.76 5. 78 3.00 3.87 114.35 + 3.00 3) NWFP/ Balochistan projects whicn are under execution have been provided the ir quota of water as existing uses. 4) Balance river supplies (including flood supplies · and future storages) shall be distributed as below: 10 Punjab Balochistan NWE.P To.tal 37 37 12 14 100% 5) Industrial and Urban Water supplies for Metropolitan City, for which there were sanctioned allocations will be accorded priority. 6) The need for storages, wherever feasible on the Indus and other rivers was admitted and recognised by the participants for planned future agricultural development. 7) The need for certain minimum escapage to sea, below Kotri, to check sea instrusion was recognised. Sindh held the view, that the optimum level was 10 M .A.F., which was discussed at length, while other stud ies indicated lower/higher f igures . It was , therefore, decided that further studies would be undertaken to establish the minimal escapage needs down stream Kotri. 8) There would be no restrictions on the Provinces to undertake new projects within their agreed shares. 9) No restrictions are placetj on smalJ schemes not exceed ing 5000 acres above elevation of 1200 ft . SPD. 10) No restrictions are placed on developing irrigation uses in the Kurram/Gomal/ Kohat basins, so long as these do not adversely affect the existing uses on these rivers. 11) There are no restrictions on Baluchistan, to develop the w ater resources of the Indus right bank tributaries, flowing through its areas. 12} The requirements of LBOD will be met out of the flood supplies in accordance with the agreed sharing formula. 13) For the implementation of this accord, the need to estab.lish an Indus River System Authority was recognised and accepted. 1 1 It would have headquarters at Islamabad* and would have representation from all the four provinces. 14) a) The system-wise allocation will be worked out separately, on ten daily basis and will be attached with this agreement as part and parcel of it. b) The record of actual average system uses for the period 1977 -82, would form the guide line for developing a future regulation pattern. These ten daily uses would be adjusted pro-rata to correspond to the indicated seasonal allocations of the different canal systems and would form the basis for sharing shortages and surpluses on all Pakistan basis. c) The existing reservoirs would be operated with priority for the irrigation uses of the Provinces. d) e) The provinces will have the freedom within their allocations to modify system-wise and period-wise uses. All efforts would be made to avoid wastages. Any surpluses may be used by another province, but this would not establish any rights to such uses. 11. The four Provincial Governments should work out the system-wise allocation, on ten daily basis by the end of March, 1 991. The allocations so worked out should be treated, ex-post, as part of the agreement reproduced at decision No. I above. 111. The request for additional allocation of 1.5 MAF of water to Sindh outside the agreement signed by the four Chief Ministers on 16th March, 1991 may be discussed between the Chief Ministers concerned. 'Vide Presidential Ordinance No. XLI of 2000, dated September 4, 2000. 12 SECRET IV . Ministry of Information and Broadcasting should ensure that the accord on apportionment of Indus waters was given extensive publicity aimed at strengthening national unity. V. In the wake of settlement of Indus water distribution issue, the Provinces should strengthen their project preparation units to formulate new schemes in the Agriculture/Irrigation sectors, both for implementation over the next 2 years and during the 8th Five Year Plan period . VI. The Ministry of Water & Power should submit to the Council of Common Interests in its next meeting, specific proposals for setting up the Indus River System Authority envisaged in para. 13 of the accord re-produced at decision No. I above. 13 APPORTIONMENT OF THE INDUS WATERS PROMISE AND PROSPECTS Pamphlet issued by MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING AN HISTORIC ACCORD: MARCH 21, 1991 APPORTIONMENT OF THE INDUS WATERS (PROMISE AND PROSPECTS) 21st March, 1991, will go down in the history of Pakistan as a pivotal breakthrough in its leap towards the 21st century and turning point in its march towards national consolidation. On that day was unravelled ·a dispute that had been festering in this part of the subcontinent for the past seventy years. The Chief Ministers of the four provinces, namely, Punjab, Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan, in a rare show of mutual accommodation and national spirit, were able to overcome what had looked like insurmountable hurdles to reach a consensus accord on the apportionment of the w aters of the Indus River System, which constitutes the lifeline of Pakistan. The Council of Common Interests, which is a constitutional body for resolving issues between the Centre and the provinces as well as between the provinces, meeting under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister, Mr. Nawaz Sharif, approved the accord in Islamabad on 21st March, 1991, and decided to set up an Indus River System Authority for its implementation. The Authority will be headqua(tered at Lahore and will include representatives of the four provinces. Historical Background The dispute had its origins in the earlier part of the century when the Sutlej Valley Project was being planned in Punjab. Actually, from hoary past, millions of acres of land in the Indus Basin were irrigated from the spills of the rivers and by inundation canals. These canals diverted supplies directly from the rivers during the flood periods without the diversion dams. Since Punjab, due to long interruptions in water supplies, was prey to recurrent famines , the British authority, towards the middle of the last century, started expanding irrigation facilities through the introduction of improved methods and construction of diversion dams across the rivers. The area between the tributaries was developed first as the tributaries, being smaller rivers, were easier to control than the mighty Indus. The Upper Bari Doab Canal on the Ravi was the first to be opened in 1859. It was followed by Sirhind Canal on the Sutlej in 1882, the Lower Chenab in 1892 , and the Lower Jhelum in 1901. The Bahawalpur and the Upper Swat canals were opened in 1908 ad 1914 respectively. The Dipalpur Canal Project, an 14 elaborate and ingeniously-conceived project, consist ing of the Upper Jhelum, the Upper Chenab, and the Lower Bari Doab canals was completed in 1915. In the post World War-I period, plans to harness the f low of the main Indus river materialised with the const ruction of the Sukkur Barrage Projecr, t he largest sing le irrigation project in the world, in 1932. The Sutlej Valley Project comprising 11 canals and four headworks at Ferozepur, Suleimanki, Islam, and Panjnad was completed in 1932. The Haveli Canal Project with headworks at Trimmu on the Chenab came up in 1939 and the Kalabagh in 1947. Before the Sutlej Valley Project was sanctioned in 1921 , concern was voiced by various units on the adequacy of available supplies. Bahawalpur State protested against any supplies being given to Bikaner State, as provided in that project, on the ground that the supplies were insufficient even for the needs of the riparian areas of Punjab and Bahawalpur State. At the same time, Punjab protested against the Sukkur Canals Project, which also was before the Government for ' sanction,- as it felt there would be inadequate supplies for both Sukkur and Thal barrages. Bombay province, which then included Sindh, on . its part protest ed against the Sutlej Valley Project because it feared that withdrawals for that project would leave inadequate supplies for the Sukkur Barrage canals. Almost from the start of the Sutlej Valley Project, it became evident that supplies for its canals were inadequate. These canals had been planned on the basis of average supplies occurring over a certain period of years. Without ample storage, average supplies were not dependable. The unusable peak flows distorted the picture . The result was that the canals, after construction, suffered overall shortages in half the year. In most years, they suffered extreme shortages during early Kharif when supplies were most needed, a situation which proved intolerable. Anderson Committee As many as six committees/commissions appointed by government, two before Independence and four after the establishment of Pakistan, went into the question of apportionment but could not help resolve it. In view of continuing protests from Bahawalpur State and Sindh even after the sanction of Sukkur and Sutlej Valley projects, the Government of India set up a committee, popularly known as the Anderson Committee, to study the distribution of supplies from the Indus river for the various existing and proposed canals of 15 Khairpur and Bahaw alpur states and for the Haveli Project. The Committee submitted its report in 1935, on which the Government of India passed orders in 1937. These related to additional allocation of water to Sukkur and Panjnad canals, allocations to Paharpur, Tha l and Haveli Canals, and the basis for sharing of shortages and utilisation of surplus supplies. Rau Commission In October 1939, the Sindh Government again lodged a complaint regarding the apprehended effects of the Punjab projects on the inundation canals in Sindh and the Government of India appointed a three-man Indus Commission known as the Rau Commission. In its report , the Commission recommended that the principle of equitable apportionment should govern the respective rights of t he parties and affirmed the rule that an upper riparian cannot take any action that interferes with'. the existing irrigation of the lower riparian. It therefore laid dow n that the proposed dam at Bakhra, on completion, must be so operated as not to cause material damage to the canals of the dow nstream province of Sindh. The Commission placed an embargo on undertaking its construction before 1st October, 1945, and suggested that, in the meantime, the representatives of Punjab and Sindh should sort out on a bilateral basis the issue of the sharing of waters and related matters. On 28th September, 1945, a draft agreement regard ing the sharing of Indus and five Punjab rivers was signed by t he Chief Engineers of the two provinces, but it could not be ratified for w ant of a settlement of the financial issue. However, w ater allocation from t he additional three barrages constructed at Kotri, Taunsa and Guddu on the main Indus after Independence was substantially based upon the draft Sindh-Punjab Agreement of 1945. Indus Basin Treaty By the time, Pakistan and India became two independent countries, the irr igation system of the Indus Basin and already become t he most extensive and complex in the world . But the partition line in 194 7, drawn between them, cut across the rivers and canals comprising the most highly developed portion of the Indus Basin irrigation system in a manner that certain canal headworks, which also supplied water to canals in Pakistan, were left in the Indian territory. The assumption probably was that arrangements for continuity of supplies made at the time of part ition would be respected. But India lost no time to 16 exploiting its upstream posit ion and in April 1948 arbi trarily cut off the supplies t o every canal crossing into Pakistan. A serious situation developed on t he Pakistan side which led to long drawn negotiations . The issue was settled with the signing of the Indus Basin Treaty through the good offices of the World Bank in 1960. Under the Treaty, the Indians were given the right to use the waters of the three eastern rivers, namely, the Ravi, the Beas and the Sutlej and Pakistan, the three western rivers, namely, the Indus, the Jhelum and Chenab. In the closing stages of the negotiations with India on the Indus waters, the Government of Pakistan set up an organisation, called Indus Basin Advisory Board (!BAB), in 1959 to prepare a plan for replacement of water from the western rivers for uses in Pakistan, t i!I then met from the eastern riv~rs. The li~t of works, both for replacement and deve lopment, was approved by the Gov.ernment ·and is generally referred to as the "Settlement Plan". To ensure a common approach on t he Sett lement Plan, t he Federal Government had earlier assured the smaller units that "all materials supplied to the Central Government by the various units, and all arguments advanced, material prepared or positions taken by the Centra l Government in its negotiations with India, are completely without prejudice to the legal rights of any interest to present a unified point of view fo r Pakistan as a whole. Any points of dispute between the units in Pakist an will be resolved in a fai r and equitable manner, if necessary, by t he appointment of an impartial commission by t he Centra l Government. Akhtar Hussain Committee With the completion of the Mangla Dam and other emergent replacement works, the Water Allocation and Rates Committee of West Pakistan was constituted in 1968, under the chairmanship of Mr. Akhtar Hussain. Among other matters, it was asked "to review and recommend barrage allocations, reservoir release pattern and draw down levels and examine other issues of water policy, such as the use of ground water in relation to surface water deliveries". Before however the Committee could submit its report, the Council of Administration consisting of the governors-designate of the four provinces decided on 26th June , 1970 to 17 request the Pakistan Government to appoint a commission for allocation of Indus waters. The Akhtar Hussain Committee submitted its report to the West Pakistan Governor on 30th June, 1970, but the very next day, that is , on 1st July, 1970, One Unit - the admin istrative unit created in 1955 by amalgamating the four provinces of the then West Pakistan- was dismembered and the report could not receive the attention of the Government, which had already decided to appoint a commission. Fazl-e-Akbar Committee On 5th October, 1970, the Pakistan Government appointed the Indus Waters Committee for allocation of waters of the Indus and its tributaries among the four provinces. Community known as the Fazl-e-Akbar Committee, it submitted its report in November, 1971. Since its members were not able to work out a consensus either on apportionment of water or even on purely technical issues, Mr. Justice Fazl-e-Akbar himself formulated the recommendations. These were discussed at the Governors Conference in October 1972, but no decision could be taken. Further efforts to resolve the problem through mutual discussions among the provinces also did not succeed. The Cabinet in its meeting on 13th January, 1975 therefore decided to defer the issue for the time being . Indus Waters Commission (Anwar-ul-Haq Commission) On the recommendations of the Council of Common Interests, which discussed the water apportionment issue on 31st December, 1976, the President constituted a commission comprising the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mr. Anwar-u l-Haq as its chairman and the Chief Justices of the four High Courts as its members. It was asked to give its report within nine months, wh ich it could not do and instead asked for an extension of the time- limit. The President however felt doubtful if the Commission would be able to achieve anything at all. He therefore discussed the matter with his Law Minister who advised him to consult the Council Common Interests, Ministry of Fuel and Power and the provincial Governors. The decision taken after such consultations , he was told , could be given effect • to by an appropriate legal instrument. A reference was made by the Government on this point to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, who analysed the position obtaining in the case on 27th June, 1982. He 18 recommended to the President that t he distribution of waters of the River Indus and its t ributaries among the four prov inces may be based on the Fazl-e-A kbar Committee Report , w hich may be adopted w ith some modi f ications and adjustments t o be made by appointing an Indus River Authority. Haleem Commit tee The President of Pakistan however di~ected the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court , Mr . Justice Muhammad Haleem on 3rd March 1983 to undertake, with the assistance of the Chief Just ices of t he High Court s of the four prov inces, the w ork of apportionment of waters on a fa ir and equitable basis. The report of the Haleem Commit tee was submit ted on 15th April , 1983, w ith a note of dissent by the Chief Justice of Peshaw ar High Court. Unfortunately no decision could be reached on the basis of this report and the stalemate cont inued for th e next seven years . Ad Hoc Arrangements In the absence of a f inal settlement , t he provinces received irrigation supplies through · ad hoc distribut ion arrangements of Indus w aters not ified by the Federal Government for each period /season of the year. This only r~v ived bitterness among them everytime they met and w rangled over ad hoc allocations. Consequences of Delay Quit e apart from t he continuous injection of poison in t he rel at ions among the provinces, the longer-term consequences of th is delay w ere ext remely serious, considering t he scale of the irrigat ion system in Pakistan, w hich is one of t he largest and oldest irrigation systems in the world . The system consists of 43 independent canal sub-systems, 2 super­ st orage reservoirs and 19 large headw orks. The primary canals alone are 57,000 kilometres (36 ,000 miles) in length. The canal system commands 34 .5 million acres of area . The quantum of canal head withdrawals is 105 Million Ac~e Feet (MAF) in an average year. The I system supplies irrigat ion water t o approximately 29 million acres of land covering t hree million individual farms , or 58 per cent of t he t ot al cultivated area of 50 million acres. An add it ional 20 per cent of the area (or 10 million acres) is irrigated by tubew ells. The annual growth rate of Pakistan' s population is over three per cent. This cont inual 19 population increase has seriously hampered the country's pace of development. The population of Pakistan which at present stands at over 110 million, will increase to 1 50 million by the year 2000 . This high rate of growth in population has reduced the average cropped area per person from 0. 78 acres in 1950 to 0.45 acres in 1990, resulting in doubling of the number of farms . This trend '. is not u~familiar because it has brought about famines in a number of Third World countries. Unless, therefore, additional land is brought under c.ultivation, it would be difficult for Pakistan to remain self-sufficient in food, or to maintain a rate of agricultural growth that is necessary for the economy as a whole. Potential for Development Pakistan possesses an enormous land development potential. Availability of approximately 86 million acres of cu ltivable area is a resource which few countries are endowed with. At present, canal irrigation water (excluding baran,~ chah,~ etc.) caters for w·ater requirements of only 34.5 million acres through a network of canals, barrages and storage reservoirs of which about 29 million acres only are actually irrigated. A province­ wise breakdown of the command areas is as follows: Total Cultivable Canal Commanded Actual Canal Province Area Area Irrigated Area (Million Acres) (Million Acres) (Million Acres) Punjab 36.40 (42%) 19 .50 (56%) 16.41 (57.3%) Sindh 26.50 (31 %) 12.20 (36%) 10.00 (34.9 %) NWFP 7.60 (09 %) 1.80 (05%) 1.32 (4.6 %) Balochistan 15 .50 (18%) 1.00 (03%) 0.94 (3.2%) Total 86.00 (100%) 34.50 . (100%) 28.67 (100%) Source: National Commission Agriculture's Report of March, 1988. It· is agriculture that constitutes the mainstay of Pakistan's economy. It has the capacity to fuel economic growth and to meet the rapidly-expanding domestic consumption needs. It has not been possible to bring more land under cultivation because of the limited amount of water that has so far been developed. With virtually no constraint on availability of land, it is unfortunate that large quantities of water (a substantial portion of 32 million acre feet of av erage annual outflow) should be allowed to go waste into the sea. 20 Approximately 20 to 22 MAF of water can be effectively developed in a way that can help m illions of people in Pakistan. Hazards of Staying put If further development of Pakistan 's potent ial water resources is not undertaken in a pfanned manner, with the passage of time, even the quantum of irrigation water presently available will go on declining . The deterioration is caused by the sedimentation of Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma reservoirs , which is continually. decreasing their storage capacity. So fa r, some 1.3 MAF of water has been lost to siltation making it an impossible task to even sustain .the present level of irrigation. This continuing decline in the availability of ir rigation, unless checked , can cause major social and political dislocations in the coming years. Incidentally, a 200 feet high sedimentation delta at Tarbela is approaching the Dam at a pace of approximately 1 / 2 mile per year. In 10 to 15 Years, this 200 feet high w all of sediment will come so close to the dam that it will pose a serious threat t o the very safety of the Project . Abrasion of tunnel linings, turbines and other outlet structures w ill then put Tarbela in an extremely vulnerable position. Even a medium-intensity earthquake can trigger liquefaction of the delta w hich may choke the tunnels, thereby stopping power product ion for several months. A debacle of this magnitude wou ld indeed precipitate a national catastrophe. Moreover, Pakistan periodically becom es a victim of massive devastation as a result of recurring floods. The monsoon rains combined with snowmelt in the Indus catchment cause widespread damage to life, crops , livestock, built-up property and other socia l infrastructure. Floods o ,' 1973 inundated over 1.2 million acres and the loss was t hen estimated at Rs. 1.5 billion. The floods of 1988 cost t he country 350 human lives w it h a financial loss of over 5 billion rupees. Aside from causing human and financial losses on a colossal scale, these floods jeopard ised the productivity of the entire system . Missed Benefits Some of the potential benefits , which were being missed as a result of non-settlement of the issue, may be listed as: (i). Extension/new development of water resource facilities remains suspended while a sizeable amount of water goes waste to the sea each year. 21 (ii) In 1970, before Tarbela w aters become available, the total water use was 97.57 MAF (Kharif - 67.36 MAF, Rabi 30 .2 1 MAF). On completion of Tarbela, experts had recommended that the exist ing system should be improved to expand uti lisation of water to 104.24 MAF (Kharif - 76.41 MAF, Rabi 2 7. 83 MAF), to meet planned requirements. With the balance of addit ional \ ' water from Tarbela (8. 56 MF) for new schemes, the total water use was to increase to 117.81 MAF (Kharif - 80.00 MAF; Rabi 37.81 MAF). However because the w ater allocation issue was not resolved, additional projects to extend the system could not be taken up and the existing irrigation system has consumed t he Tarbela water raising its utilisation from 97.51 MAF to 105.35 M AF {and not to 117.81 MAF) . {ii i) In the absence of proper works, the Tarbela water was added to the existing system with serious consequences in terms of waterlogging and salinity in many areas. The Ta rbela water has not been uti lised in an optimum manner and no surplus w ater now is available during Rabi for new irrigation schemes. \ {iv) Est imates indicate a loss of Rs . . 20 bill ion annually to the national economy as a direct benefit and Rs. 25 billion as an indirect benefit. An amount of $ 750 million in fo reign currency is an additional annual expenditure on fuel required fo r therm al generation by not implement ing t he planned hydropower projects. {v) Due to delayed decision on water apportionment, a huge segment of our working force is being den ied employment opportunities. Approximately, a million people would find ga inful employment directly on the extended/intensive irrigated lands w hile another one million jobs w ould be created indirectly, on resolution of the issue of w ater apportionment. Political Will A careful analysis of the recommendations of various commissions would show that the difference between Fazl-e-Akbar's recommendat ions and the latest report of the Haleem Committee in t erms of provincial allocation was of t he order 1 or 2 MAF only and either one of t hem could provide t he basis fo r arriving at a set t lem ent. In the case of the Haleem Committee Report, the Chief Justice of the t hree Provincial High Courts as well as the Chairman, namely, the Ch ief Justice of the Supreme Court, had signed the Report. But one 22 member, namely, the Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court had given his note of dissent. While Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan were willing to consid.er the recommendations of the Haleem Committee, the Frontier Province wanted to safeguard initial ly a minimum of 14 MAF. Later, the Government of NWFP softened its stand and brought down its demand to 12 MAF. The difference of 1.5 or 2 MAF, . out of some 126 MAF of usable water, was therefore not so large as to prevent a consensus among the four provinces. Only the political wil l to take the bull by the horns was lacking. Solution The present Government headed by Mr. Nawaz Sharif recognised the need for an early resolution of the issue. The Prime Minister set up a Sub-Committee of the Cabinet to finalise the working paper and explore different options under which the outstanding issues could be resolved on a final basis. Based on its recommendations, a summary was put up before the Council of Common Interests on '2nd January, 1991. The Council considered it on 12th January, 1991 and decided that an "Inter-Provincial Committee on Apportionment of Indus Waters" be set up to examine all the previous reports and formulate recommendations within thirty days. The Committee headed by the Minister for Finance included a minister each from the four provinces nominated by the Chief Ministers, with one technical expert each to assist him. The Inter-Provincial Committee held its first meeting on 30th January, 1991 and identified the main outstanding issues. The provincial representatives offered to hold mutual consultations on those issues in an effort to arrive at a consensus. These consultations were initially at the technical level and subsequently at the level of Chief Ministers . The Chief Ministers met at Lahore on 3rd Maren, 1991 snd again at Karachi on 16th March, 1991. They reached a complete consensus by mutual agreement on the apportionment of the wat~rs of the Indus River System between the provinces. Main Features The existing uses of water supplies to the provinces, which they have so far been getting as ad hoc allocations, remain untouched . In fact, projects which are under execution in the Frontier Province and Balochistan have also been provided their authorised quota of water as existing uses. 23 Moreover, the Frontier Province will ~e free tq develop irrigation uses in the Kurram/ Gomal/Kohat basins so long as these do not adversely affect the existing uses on these ri vers . There are no restrictions either on Balochistan for developing the river resources of t he Indus right bank tributaries flowing through its areas . The apportionment that has been agreed to under the accepted principles of water distribution provides both for Kharif and Rabi seasons, a total allocation of 55 .94 mill ion acre feet (MAF) to Punjab, 48. 76 (MAF) t o Sindh inclusive of already sanctioned urban and industrial uses for metropolitan Karachi, 5.78 (MAF) to NWFP and 3 .87 (MAF) to Balochistan . Additionally, NWFP w ill have a total of 3.00 (MAF) available from ungauged canals above t~e rim stations. The distribution of the balance river, supplie?, including flood supplies and future . storages, will be: Punjab and Sindh 37% each, NWFP 14% and Balochistan 12 %. A minimum escapage to sea , below Kotri , will be allowed to check sea intrusion . Sindh's estimate was 10 MAF, but the final figure will be determined after further studies . The provinces will be free to undertake new projects within their agreed shares. They can also go in for small schemes not exceeding 5000 acres above elevation of 1 200 feet SPD. Allocations to different systems will be worked out separately on the basis of ten daily uses. These uses w ill also help determine sharing of shortages and surpluses on all­ Pakistan basis. The existing reservoirs will ~e opera1ed with priority for the irrigation uses of the provinces. Within their allocations, the provinces may modify uses. both system-wise and period­ w ise. But all efforts will be made to avoid wastages. In case, a province is not in a position, fo r the time being, to make full use of its allocation, that surplus may be used by another province, w ithout its acquiring a right on it. The idea is that every drop of available water should be put to productive use. Above all, the agreement clears the stage for bui lding fu~ure storages as it prov ides t hs:lt: "The need for storage, wherever feasible on the Indus and other rivers, was admitted and recognised by the participants for planned future development" 24 Fresh Air The agreement has come as a rare breath of fresh air since the birth of Pakistan , because its polity has been constantly riven by fractiousness and confrontation, stemming from a promoted sense of deprivation and ex·ploitation, which has blighted the tremendous latent energies of its people. These energies'· rightly direct ed could have by now altered the entire socio-economic, cultural, and political landscape of Pakistan . With each province, master of its own share of water resources, it no longer has t o confront others to win its right but to brace itself up to meet the challenge to its own ability to put to best use what it has won . With economic fri ctions out of the way, politics in Pakistan is being introduced to a new idiom. The agreement has therefore been hailed by all the four provinces both for its economic benefit and political promise . In pure economic terms, the accord will help bring 50 lakh ac"res of more land under cultivation , increase wheat production by 20 lakh tons a year, and provide lakhs of jobs to unemployed workers both on land and otherwise in Pakistan. The Sindh Chief Minister, Jam Sadiq Ali has listed three gains as the main features of the agrE)ement. One, it is a consensus accord . Two, it has been arrived at by politicians. And , three, it protects the interests of all the four provinces. He said an additional 4 .5 MAF water will be available to Sindh for irrigation, which is about 13 per cent more than the present utilisation. Under ad hoc allocation, Sindh had been receiving 44.34 MAF but, according to the new agreement, Sindh's share had been increased to 48. 76 MAF. This allocation was t he highest that Sindh had got compared t o the previous recommended allocat ions including those proposed by Fazl-e-Akbar and Haleem Committ ees. He said besides irrigating vast new areas, additlonal water will help increase intensity from the present 81 per cent to 120 per cent. The Sindh Minister for Irrigation and Power, Mr. Masroor Ahmed Khan Jatoi, says the accord symbolises the desire of the four provinces to resolve all outstanding issues in a spirit of accommodation, which, in turn, would further strengthen the Federation of Pakistan . 25 The NWFP Chief Minister, Mir Afzal Khan has said that the Frontier has got almost 50 per c,ant more water than it had demanded and was prepared to accept in 1983. It had pitched its demand then at 11.85 MAF but it has now been given 12.69 MAF. He said at present 18 lakh acres of land was being irrigated in the province but with the riew allocation, it will increase by about fifty per cent. As a result, sugarcane producti-on W !il go up by another 11 crore maunds and wheat production by another 1, 75 ,00,000 maunds, besides other crops also receiving a boost. He said the economic benefit accruing from one project alone, namely, the Chashma Right Bank Canal will be Rs. 760 crore in terms of agricultural income. Basically, he pointed out, it was an economic· issue but it had tremendous political significance as well because it w ould contribute toward strengthening the federation and promoting national integration. The Awami National Party leader, Khan Abdul Wali Khan, whose party is an important component of the Frontier government , has said he is fully satisfied with the water apportionment. He said it is the first time that the provinces have made the happy beginning of resolving their mutual differences through negotiations. If this trend is pursued, it will help terminate the present bitterness among them and solve their problems. He commended the Prime Minister's approach and said it appears that he wants 'to take along all the provinces with him. The Balochistan Chief Minister, Mir Taj Mohammad Jami:lli , has said that his province is certain ly a major beneficiary of the water distribution accord . He said as a result, about ten lakh acres additional land will be brought under cultivation, taking the total from the present six lakh acres to sixteen lakh acres. In particular, he drew, attention to the irrigation of the virgin soil in the upper reaches of Nasirabad and in the plains of Kachhi district and said availability of water will turn Kachhi plains into a granary of Balochistan. He praised Mr. Nawaz Sharif for his political sAgacity and said the Prime Ministe; \i ·1s firm in his commitment that Balochistan's ri~hts would be fully protected . He also 26 commended the sense of cooperation and appreciation of each other's point of view displayed by the · Chief Ministers in reaching the w ater accord. The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr. Ghulam Hyder Wyne, has described the accord as a historic achievement of the present Government and said that this is the first decision in the 43-year history of Pakistan that has sent a wave of happiness throughout rural Pakistan. With the passage of time, this happiness will increase. He said an agricultural revolution w as in the offing, and democratic traditions, national integration, political consultation, and mutual accommodation would flourish, leading to a prosperous Pakistan . He said if a province has made any sacrifices for facilitating the accord, heavens are not going to fall. "We are not big or small brothers, but only brothers". Mr. Wyne pointed out that w ith the water that w ill become available to Punjab, it will be possible to execute the Greater Thal Canal Project, which consists of a network of canals. The Punjab Finance Minister, Makhdoomzada Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who represented his province in the accord negotiations says that Punjab as a whole will benefit, particularly the underdeveloped areas of southern Punjab, such as, Rajanpur, D.G. Khan, Mianwali, Bhakkar, Cholistan , and the Sarani areas of Pt-ndi Dada n Khan and district Jhelum. According to him, the irrigated area in the province win increase by another 30 lakh acres. He said the accord opens the door to the building of new st orages as long as the provinces remain within their share of the allocation. He pointed out that the quantity of surplus water is much greater than what is envisaged in future dams. Malik Miraj Khalid, a prominent leader of the Pakistan People ' s Party and the former Speaker of the National Assembly, w ho had also served as the Chief Minister of Punjab at one time, has described the accord as a very positive development saying that it would help solve a very ticklish problem, which had been a big hurdle in the way of economic progress, political understanding among the provinces and even in the social cohesion of the nation. 27 The Prime Minister Mr. Nawaz Sharlf, who was the main catalyst of the accord, announcing it at a news conference in Islamabad said the water dispute had not only been eating i.nto the vitals of national economy but had also been fuelling hatred and tension among the provinces, which the politicians exploited for political purpose. It is with great anguish, he s~id, that he had to point out that no previous government had tried to tackle it with any seriousness and always handed it down to its successor after creating more compl ications . "When it reached our hands, it had become highly critical and explosive". Mr. Nawaz Sharif said many friends had advised him not to put his hands into th is hornet's nest as big leaders had failed before. He said "My answer to· them was that the na·tion has given the responsibilities to us to solve its problems. Either we tackle them or we have no right to cling to power. The goal before me is not power but service and work ". Mr. Nawaz Sharif pointed out that the accord removes the biggest hurdle in the way of national unity and cohesion. He congratulated the four Chief Ministers both on his own behalf and on behalf of the nation for their sagacity, sincerity, and patriotism, in solving this complicated and complex issue. The President, Mr. Ghulam lshaq Khan, in identical letters to the Prime Minister and the four Chief Ministers has facilitated them on his behalf and on behalf of "a grateful nat ion on th is remarkable achievement", which, he was confident, "would go down in history as one of the most significant, far-reaching and courageous contributions· to the str"engthening of our federal bonds and the opening of new vistas of the country's all-out development". ,., The President pointed out that "this great event signifies the victory of the democratic process .and testifies to the efficacy of our constitutional institutions for the amicable solution of national problems. 28 Appendix TEXT OF AGREEMENT 1. There was an agreement that the issue relating to apportionment of the waters of the Indus River System should be settled as quickly as possible. 2. In the light of the accepted water distributional principles the following apportionment was agreed to: (Fig. in MAFJ PROVINCE KHARIF RABI TOTAL ' PUNJAB 37.07 18.87 55.94 SINDH* 33.94 14.82 48.76 N.W.F.P. (a) 3.48 2.30 5.78 (bl CIVIL CANALS** 1.80 1.20 3.00 BALOCHISTAN 2.85 1.02 3.87 77.34 37.01 114.35 + + + 1.80 1.20 3.00 • •• Including already sanctioned Urban and Industrial uses for Metropolitan Karachi. • • Unguaged CivilCanals above the rim stations. (3) N.W.F.P/Balochistan Projects which <!re under execution have been provided their authorised quota of water as existing uses. (4) Balance river supplies (including flood supplies and future storages) shall be distributed as below: .eu.njab S.io.dn Ba lochistan NWEE Tot.al 37% 37% 12% 14% 100% (5) Industrial and Urban Water supplies for Metropolitan city , for which there w ere sanctioned allocations will be accorded priority. (6) The need for storages, wherever feasible on the Indus and other rivers was admitted and recognised by the participants for , planned, future agricultural development. 29 (7) The need for certain minimum escapage to sea, below Kotri, to check sea instrusion was recognised . Sindh held the view, that the optimum level was 10 M .A.F., which w as discussed at length, while other studies indicated lower/higher figures. It was, therefore, decided that further studies w ould be undertaken t o establish the minimal escapage needs down stream Kotri. (8) There would be no restrict ions on the Provinces t o undertake new projects within thei r agreed shares. (9) No restrictions are placed on small schemes not exceeding 5000 acres above elevation of 1200 ft. SPD. ( 10) No restrictions are placed on developing irrigation uses in the Kurram/Gomal/Kohat basins, so long as these do not adversely affect the existing uses on these rivers. (1 1) There are no restrictions on Balochistan, t o develop the wat er resources of the Indus right bank tributaries, flowing through: its area's. (12) The requirements of LBOD will be met out of the flood supplies in accordance with the agreed sharing form ula. ( 13) For the implementation of this accord, the need t o establish an Indus River System Authorit y was recognised and accepted. It would have headquarters at Lahore and would have representation f rom all the four provinces. (1 4 ) (a) The system-wise allocation w ill be worked out separately, on ten daily basis and will be attached with th is agreement as part and parcel of it. (b) The record of actual average sy~tem uses for the period 1977-82, would fo rm the guide line for developing a future regulations pattern . These ten daily uses w ould be adjusted pro-rata to correspond to the indicated seasonal allocations of the different canal systems and would form the basis for sharing shortages and surpluses on all Pakistan basis. (c) The existing reservoirs would be operated with priority for the irrigation uses of the Provinces. 30 (d) The provinces w ill have the freedom w ithin their allocations to modify system­ wise and period-wise uses. (e) All efforts would be made to avoid wastages. Any surpluses may be used by another province, but this w ould not establish any rights t o such uses. Published by Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Directorate of Films & Publications, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad 31 . . MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF COUNCIL OF COMMON INTEREST Held on September 16, 1991 No. CCI - 3 /M/9I. CABINET SECRETARIAT (CABINET DIVfSION) SECRET /IMMEDIATE Islamabad, the 23'' September, 1991. A copy of the Minutes and Decisions of the meeting of the Council of Common Interests held at 12:30 pm. on Monday, the 16"' September, 1991 in the Cabinet Room of the Prime Minister's Secretariat, Islamabad, is sent herewith for perusal and return. Minister for F inance and Economic Affairs. Minister for Law and Justice. Minister for Railways. ChiefMinister, Punjab. Chief Minister, Sindh. Chief Minister, WFP Chief Minister, Balochistan. Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission. (MANSOOR ELAHI) Joint Secretary to the Cabinet Arshad Mirza, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Water & Power, Islamabad. 32 SECRET MINUTES AND DECISIONS OF THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL OF COMMON INTERESTS HELD AT 12:30 P.M. ON MONDAY THE 16Th SEPTEMBER, 1991. IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S SECRETARIAT. ISLAMABAD. Case No. S/CCI-3/91 Follow-up Actions of the Water Accord. Dated: 16.09. 1991 MINUTES I. 10-Day Average System-wise Allocations The follow-up actions of the Water Accord required that a system-wise allocation would be worked out on a 10-daily basis and would be attached with the Agreement as its integral part. In order to implement the decision the Provinces were required to furnish the relevant data so that the Accord would be complete in all respects for implementation. 2. Punjab expressed the view that Water Accord was a comprehensive package and it would not be appropriate to take up any one clause in isolation. The data provided in the form of 10-daily system-wise allocations by the provinces should not be taken into account in isolation without protecting the existing uses and deciding on future storages. During the critical periods of Rabi and early or late Kharif any increase in the existing level of uses would be possible only after additional storage capacity becomes available. Till then the existing sharing arrangements had to continue during these deficit periods. 3. In Rabi season, Punjab is presently using about l MAF of water more than allocated to it under the Water Accord since this water had been allocated to Frontier Province. In order to compensate for the ultimate loss of this water Punjab would need to improve their canal lining system through a federally financed programme to reduce seepage. An understanding to this effect had been given at the time of signing of the Accord. Punjab had submitted a PC-I to the Federal Government which needed to be examined urgently. Another view was that the scheme in its present shape was not viable as it envisaged the cost of irrigation to be as high as Rs. 15,000 per acre. It was desirable, therefore, that it should be revised. It was suggested that the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission should associate the Chief Engineering Advisor and two representatives of the Government of Punjab to look into the viability of the proposal. 33 4. Government of Sindh expressed the view that the providing data on 1 0-Daily average allocations on a system-wise basis was an integral part of the Accord. It would not be appropriate to link other issues such as development of futu·re storages etc. with this provision of the Accord. The Accord should be religiously implemented and there shou ld be openness in dealing with all issues. 5. NWFP pointed out that it would have no difficulty in accepting Annex II provided small disc repanc ies in the data were corrected. Page 5 of Annex II should be revised accordingly. 6. Balochistan supported the adoption of data in Annex II to complete the Accord. 7 . The status of the independent study proposed to be carried out by the international panel of experts to establ ish minimal escapage needs down-stream of Kotri was noted. It was stated that the prov incial governments .might also be associated with the study at an appropriate stage. DECISION I. The Council of Common Interests authorised the 10-Day Seasonal System-wise Adjusted Allocations (excluding flood flows and future storages) provided by the provinces (Annex- II-page 5 as revised) t o become part and parcel of the Water Accord. II. The Council of Common Interests directed that the study proposed to be carried out by International pane l of experts to establish minimal escapage needs down-stream of Kotri should be completed within one year of the sign ing of the agreement with the consultants. Ill. Dy Chairman, Planning Commission w ould head a Committee to review the proposal of the Government of Punjab for canal lining . The Secretary, Ministry of Water and Power, Chief Engineering Adviser and representatives of Punjab may be associated. 34 SECRET Case o.6/CCI-3/91 Indus River System Authority Dted: 16.09.1991 MI UTES Indus River System Authority (IRSA) was required to be created under Para 13 of the Indus Water Accord. The following observations were made on the Draft Resolution: i) The modalities for expressing its views on the availability of water for new schemes were not clear. This might create bottlenecks in the approval of such schemes. ii) The provincial governments supported the representation of the Federal Government on the Authority. iii) The Chairman of the Authority should be appointed on rotation basis in alphabetical order from amongst the provinces. iv) The tenure of the members of the Authority should be three years. v) Till such time, the Authority was established as a corporate body, the terms and conditions of the staff of the Authority would have to be subject to the approval of the Government of Pakistan. vi) Certain provisions of the Draft Resolution were not properly drafted. DECISJO I. The Council of Common Interests approved, in principle the creation of Indus River System Authority (IRSA). The draft Resolution for the creation of the Authority would be reviewed by the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, in consu1tation with the provinces and submitted to the Prime Minister for approval. II. The Authority would consist of a Chairman and four Members. The Chairman would be appointed for one year on rotation basis, in alphabetical order of the Federation/Provinces. The Members would be appointed for a period of three years. Ill. The Federal Government would also have a voting member on the Authority. SECRET Case No.7/CCl-3/91 ew Irrigation Projects and Programme. Dated: 16.09.1991 MINUTES It was stated that the Federal Government would arrange foreign aid for new Irrigation projects evolving out of the Accord for all the provinces on an equitable basis. The amount not covered by foreign aid would be provided by the provinces themselves. 2. It was stated that important irrigation and power projects were located in larger provinces and the province of Balochistan was deprived of the impact of development of such activates in its own area. It would therefore be appropriate that the irrigation projects of Balochistan were totally financed by the Federal Government. Also the net profits earned from generation of hydro power by the provinces should be shared by all the provinces. It was explained that the Federal Government had already transferred substantial resources to Balochistan through the FC Award. The arrangement for the transfer of net profits on hydel power generation to the provinces needed to be interpreted carefully since it would jeopardize the involvement of the private sector in such projects if net profits did not accrue to them and continued to be transferable to the provinces, irrespective of whether the projects were public funded or involved private sector participation. DECISIO The Council of Common Interests approved recommendations in Para 14(1) and (2) of the summary dated 27"' August, 1991 submitted by the Ministry of Water and Power. The proposal contained in Para 14 (3) for the provinces to convert their Irrigation Departments into semi-autonomous Provincial Irrigation Authorities was left to be implemented by them if and when considered appropriate. Case No.8/CCJ-3/91 integrated Water and Hydro Power Development. Dated: 16.09.1991 MINUTES The Water Accord of March 1991, has resolved the inter -provincial water dispute which had obstructed the development of water and power resources over the last 15 years. The benefits of the Accord could only be achieved if new canals and storages have been planned and built. 2. New irrigation projects needed to be added to the system to meet the population growth of 3 per cent per annum which had led to a reduction in cropped area per person to half the size since 1950. It was estimated that in the absence of major improvements in the water sector, Pakistan would become deficit in food to the extent of 20 per cent by the year 2000. The existing storage capacity at Tarbela had decreased by I .03 MAF since its commissioning due to normal sedimentation, which would be further reduced by another 1.87 MAF in the next 9 years. This loss in storage capacity is a matter of deep concern. 3. The hydel power generation potential of the Indus River System had been only marginally exploited. This had changed the power generation mix in Pakistan in favour of thermal, increasing the average cost of energy in the country. There would therefore remain a persistent strain on the balance of payments position. Also, large investment would be required in the development of infrastructure for the transportation and handling of imported fuel. 4. In order to harness the water and hydel resources, an integrated plan had been developed over the next 20 years at an estimated cost of Rs.245 billion. The province-wise allocations was as follows: (i) Punjab would receive Rs. IO billion for four canal/irrigation schemes namely, Greater Thal, Ojai, CRBS (lift) and tubewell irrigation in reverine areas. (ii) Sindh would have irrigation scheme between Nara and Khairpur besides Tubewell Irrigation in Riverine Areas. There were two drainage projects, LBOD Stage-II and RBOD. The total cost of these projects in estimated at Rs.50.8 billion. (iii) KP would have two irrigation schemes, Peshawar High Level Canal and CRBC (Lift) along with two dams namely, Gomal Zam and Munda. The total cost of these projects is estimated to be Rs.20.6 billion. (iv) Balochistan would have two irrigation projects namely, Kachhi Plain and Water Development for Quetta and Adjoining Valleys, at an estimated cost of Rs. 11 Billion. SECRET 5. In addition to the above projects, Kalabagh multipurpose prpject would be built in the first ten years of the Plan at an estimated cost of Rs. 71.5 billion. In the second 10 years phase, Basha Dam would be built which is estimated to cost Rs. 81.2 billion. 6. The following points were made in considering the plan: i. The basis for the size of the plan was questionable. ii. The costs were considered to have been under-stated since the estimates did not take into consideration interest during construction period and escalation of costs. The proposed plan could easily cost upto Rs. 500 billion. It would require extensive consultations with the donor agencies to seek support. iii. The plan was prepared without consulting the Planning and Development Division. The liability of the projects needed to be examined. The provincial governments should also be consulted in detai l to reflect their priorities accurately. 7. The following views were expressed on the proposed Kalabagh Dam : 1. The adverse effects of silting, flooding and water logging of Peshawar valley needed to be technically appraised; ii. Availabili ty of water for the dam needed to be ascertained in the light of the Water Accord; iii. Public opinion has to be mobilized to meet adverse political reactions, likely especially in the province of KP The irrigation experts of Government of KP had been involved in extensive discussions with WAPDA on the pros and cons of the Kalabagh Darn and were largely convinced of its great benefits for the country as whole. ,v. The Provi nces other than Punjab, needed to be provided with an attractive package of water and power projects to be ab le to explain to their people that the benefits of Water Accord accrued equ itably for all. 8. The Kalabagh Dam Project was considered sustainable as long as views at (i) to (iv) in para 7 were adequately catered for in the comprehensive development plans. It was concluded that without its implementation subject to above safeguards, the additional water allocated in the Water Accord would not be useable. The potential for hydro power also needed to be exploited because of lower cost of generation and protection of environment. 9 . The Prime Minister stated that national interest had to be kept paramount in considering such issues. Political or narrow provincial considerations were of secondary importance. The plan presented was however not realistic and needed to be revised to fully reflect national priorities. DECISION The Council of Common Interests directed the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, to review and improve upon the: Twenty-year Water and Hydropower Development Plan in consultation with the provinces and submit it in the next meeting. Case No. 9/CCI-3/91: Payment of net profit from Bulk Generation of Hyde I Electricity. Dated: 16-09-1991 DECISION The Council of Common Interests deferred consideration of the summary dated 2"" September, 1991 submined by the Ministry of Water & Power to its next meeting. 39 lANNEIURE-111 10- DAILY SEASONAL SYSTEM WISE ADJUSTED ALLOCATIONS 10-DA Y SEASONAL SYSTEMWISE ADJUSTED ALLOCATIONS 1 of 8 E1 (EXCLUDING FLOOD FLOWS & FUTURE STORAGES) PUNJAB - KHAFUE PEnlOO F.L.C. M-R CBDC S.V.C. S.V.C. TRIMMU PANJNAD THAL TAUNSA CRBC GREATER TOTAL INT (Upper) (Lower) THAL 11000 X Cs) ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ - - - --- ------ APR 1. 24. 2 0 .1 1.8 8.3 3 .9 2.9 4.3 6.0 4.9 1.3 2.6 60.3 2. 24.7 0.3 1.8 10.8 3 .7 3.4 5.1 6.4 4.3 0 .8 3.4 64.7 3. 28.1 1 . 1 2.0 13.3 5.5 5.5 7.3 6.4 7.9 0.5 4.9 82.5 MAY 1 . 30.1 1 .3 2.1 16.0 8 .0 5 .9 7 .6 6.6 10.0 0.7 5.4 93 .7 2. 30.8 2.0 2 .1 17.2 8.7 6.1 9.0 6.8 11.5 1 . 1 5.5 100.8 3. 31.6 2.4 2 .2 18.1 9.2 6.3 9.5 6.8 11 .9 1.3 5.5 104.8 JUN 1 . 32.3 2.6 ·2.B 18.5 9.4 6 .6 10.5 . ~ 6.8 13.0 1.7 5.4 1 os :1 +> 0 2. 33 .2 3.6 2 .2 18.7 9.7 6.7 10.4 6.9 13.5 1.8 5 .5 112.2 3. 34.0 4 .0 2.2 19 .2 9.6 6 .7 10.7 6.7 14.0 1.8 5.7 114.6 JU L 1. 32.7 5 .4 2 .2 19.2 9.9 6 .6 10.4 6.6 14.3 1.7 5.8 114.8 2 . 29.6 5.0 2.0 17.9 8.7 5 .7 9 .9 6.3 12.5 1.7 5.1 104.4 3. 27 .8 6 .1 1 .8 16.8 8 .7 5 .1 9 :6 5.8 11 .8 1.8 4.7 100.0 AUG 1. 28.2 5.8 1. 7 17.4 8.2 5 .3 9 .6 6.0 11 .5 1.8 4 .8 100.3 2. 31.5 6.1 1 .8 19 .3 9 .3 6 .3 10 .6 6 .3 11 .3 1.8 5.4 109.7 3 . 34.6 4.9 2.0 20 .6 10.1 6.8 11 . 1 6.6 13 .9 1.8 5.9 118.3 SEP 1 . 33.9 4.4 2.1 21.0 10.0 6.8 11 . 1 6.8 14.4 1.8 5.9 118 .2 2. 33 .9 3.7 2.1 20.6 9.8 6.8 10.8 6.8 14.0 1.8 5.8 11 6 .1 3. 33.1 2.3 2 .2 19 .6 9.8 6.9 11.0 6.8 13.0 1.8 5.5 112.0 TOTAL MAF 11 .18 1.24 0.74 6.31 3.07 2 .15 3.40 2.37 4.19 0.55 1.8 7 37 .07 10-DAY SEASONAL SYSTEMWISE ADJUSTED ALLOCATIONS . 2 of 8 E2 (EXCLUDING FLOOD FLOWS & FUTURE STORAGES) ~ PERIOD F.l.C. M·R CBDC s.v.c. s.v.c. TRIMMU PANJNAD THAL TAUNSA CRBC GREATER TOTAL INT (Upper) (Lower) . THAL (1.000 X Cs) ------ OCT 1 . 28.2 1.0 1.4 15 .2 8.9 6.5 10.3 6.3 11.9 1 .3 91.0 2. 26. 7 0 .6 1.9 13.4 8.4 5.7 9 .2 5.9 9.8 0.9 82.5 3. 25.4 0.7 2.0 11.3 6.3 4.6 7.2 6.2 6.2 1.0 70 9 NOV 1 . 24.3 0.3 2.1 9.6 4.3 3.6 4.9 6.1 4.5 0.9 60.6 2. 23 .5 0.1 2.0 8.6 3.3 3 .0 4 .1 6.0 5.0 1.0 - 56.6 ~ 3. 22.4 0.0 2.0 8.7 2.9 2.9 3.7 6.0 3.1 1.0 52 . i,,,,o DEC 1. 22'.3 - 0.0 1.9 9.4 4.0 3.2 3 .6 5.9 2.6 0.6 - 53.5 2. 21.3 0.0 1.8 8.9 3.7 3.3 3.5 5.7 2.9 0.6 - 51 .8 3. 17.3 0.0 1.0 5.5 3.5 2.9 1.9 5.3 1.5 0.7 - 39.6 JAN 1 . 9 .9 0 .2 0 .1 1.0 6.7 4.1 1.4 1.8 0.6 0 .8 - 26 6 2. 8.7 0.1 0 .8 3.5 4.3 2.6 2.1 0 .1 1.8 0.8 - 24.8 3. 10.4 0 .1 1.3 7.1 0.5 • 0.2 2.9 2.0 3.1 0.9 28. !5 FEB 1. 19.6 0.1 1.6 9.4 0.8 1.0 3 .1 4.8 3.7 1.3 - 45.4 2. 18.'5 0.7 1.7 9.6 2.3 2.5 3.1 5.7 3.3 1 .1 48.5 3. 17 .8 0 .2 1.5 7.6 3.6 2.4 2.9 4.9 3.1 0 .9 - 44.9 MAR 1 . 18.0 0.6 1 . 1 10.1 4.3 2.9 2.9 4.8 3.4 1 .5 49. 6 2. 20 .0 0.1 1.2 11 .3 5.2 4.0 4.3 5.3 3.7 1.3 56.4 3. 21.3 0.1 1.2 10.0 5.5 3 .5 4 .3 5.6 4.4 1.2 57 .1 T OTAL MAF 7 .13 0 .10 0 .53 3.21 1.57 1.18 1.52 1 .77 1 .50 0 .36 18 .8 INDUS WATER ACCORD 3 of 8 E3 10-DA Y SEASONAL SYSTEMWISE ADJUST ED ALLOCATION S (EXCLUDING FLOOD FLOWS & FUTURE STORAGES) SJN.OJ:L.=.. KJ:lAB.LE PERIOD GUOOU SUKKUR KOTRI TOTAL BARRAGE SYSTEM BARRA GE SYSTEM BARRAGE SYSTEM (1000 X Cs) ------------- - ---- -------- ------------- APR 1 . 0.00 34 .00 6.20 40 .20 2. 0.20 34.30 6.80 41 .30 3. 1.40 31.60 6.90 39.90 MAY 1. 3 .70 35.10 12.30 51.10 2 . 6.50 39.50 15.70 61.70 3 . 12.60 43.10 21.70 77.40 ~ N JUN 1. 22 .-70 49 .10 26 .90 -98 .70 2 . 31.10 56.00 32.50 119.60 3. 35.20 60.60 33.80 129.60 JUI,. 1 . 41.10 61 .20 34.20 136.50 2. 36.20 57. F ' 29 .80 123.10 3. · 30 .20 54.40 31.30 - 115 .90 AUG 1. 28.50 54.00 27.60 110.10 2 . 27.80 54.40 23.40 105 .60 3. 28.70 54.60 23.80 107.10 SEP 1. 26 .50 55.10 27.60 109.20 2. 26.80 57.50 25 .10 109.40 3 . 2!5.80 55.80 23 .30 104.90 TOTAL MAF 7 .78 17 .90 -8.26 33 .94 INDUS WATERS ACCORD .-10-DAY SEASONAL SYSTEMWISE AD.JUSTED ALLOCATIONS 4 of 8 E4 (EXCLUDING FLOOD FLOWS & FUTURE STORAGES) u PERIOD GUDDU SUKKUR KDTRI TOTAL BARRAGE SYSTEM BARRAGE SYSTfM BARRAGE SYSTEM .(1000 X Cs) ------------- ------------- -----· ·----- OCT 1. 17 .60 43.60 18 .00 79 .20 2. 10.20 37 .80 14.50 62.50 3. 6 .30 33.00 11.30 50.60 NOV 1. 4.10 31.40 9.60 45 .1 0 2. 3 .50 31.40 7.50 42.40 3. 3.20 31 .10 5.70 40.00 DEC 1. 2.60 31 .40 5.00 39.00 .i. 2. 1.99 31.80 4.70 38.49 w 3. 1.99 26.30 4.50 32.79 JAN 1. 5.40 12.30 3.10 20.80 2. 10.40 5.40 8.60 24.40 3 . 5.50 20.30 11.70 37 .50 FEB 1. 1.30 31.90 8 .80 42.00 . 2. 1.70 31.10 4.90 37.70 3. 2.30 30.00 5.20 37.50 MAR 1. 2 .70 29 .70 4.40 36.80 2. 3.40 29.40 4 .20 37.00 3 . 2.00 28.50 4.70 35 .20 TOTAL MAF 1.73 10.34 2. 75 14.82 INDUS WATERS ACCORD 4 of 8 E4 .-10-DAY SEASONAL SYSTEMWISE ADJUSTED ALLOCATIONS (EXCLUDING FLOOD FLOWS & FUTURE STORAGES) SJNDH - BABJ PERIOD GUDOU SUKKUR KOTRI TOTAL BARRAGE SYST[M BARRAGE SYSHM BARRAGE SYST(M .11000 X Cs) ------------- -----------·-- -· ·--- ----------- OC1 1 . 17.60 43.60 18.00 79.20 2. 10.20 37 .80 14.50 62.50 3. 6.30 33.00 11.30 50.60 NOV 1 . 4.10 31.40 9.60 45 .10 2. 3.50 31.40 7.50 42.40 3. 3.20 31 .10 5.70 40.00 DEC 1 . 2.60 31.40 5.00 39.00 ~ 2. 1 .99 31.80 4 .70 38.49 ~ 3. 1.99 26.30 4.50 32.79 JAN 1. 5.40 12.30 3.10 20 80 2. 10.40 5.40 8.60 24.40 3 . 5.50 20.30 11 .70 37.50 FEB 1. 1 .30 31.90 8.80 42.00 2. 1.70 31 .10 4.90 37.70 3. 2 .30 30.00 5.20 37.50 MAR 1 . 2.70 29.70 4.40 36.80 2. 3.40 29.40 4.20 37.00 3 . 2.00 28 .50 4 .70 35.20 TOTAL MAF 1.73 10.34 2.75 14 .82 INDUS WATER ACCORD 10-DAY SEASONAL SYSTEMWISE ADJUSTED ALLOCATIONS 6 of 8 E6 (EXCLUDING FLOOD FLOWS & FUTURE STORAGES) KP - , ~ PERIOD SWAT KABUL INOUS OlltlR CIVIL TOTAL CANALS RIVER CANALS CANALS CANAIS UNGAUG[O CANALS 11000 X Cs) -------- ------------- ------------- ------------- --- - ·-··-· .- OCT 1 . 3 .67 1.16 4.94 0.4.?. 3 .73 13.92 2. 3 .25 1.20 4.97 0.48 a.n 14.13 3. 3.86 1 .12 4 .01 0 .66 a. 73 13.28 NOV 1 . 3.93 1. 14 3.87 0.46 3 .24 12.64 2 . 2.72 1.04 3 .24 0.36 3 .24 10.60 3 2.39 1.02 3 .64 0 .30 3 24 10.59 DEC 1. 1.74 0 .98 2 .1 9 0. 10 3.41 8.42 ~ 2. 1.78 1.05 1.96 0. 10 3.4 1 8.30 tll 3. 1.74 0.94 2.00 0.22 3.41 8.31 JAN 1. 0.00 0. 12 1.84 0.26 1 .95 4.17 2. 0 .00 0.00 1.82 0.20 1.95 3.97 3. 0 .00 0.40 2 .07 0.12 1 .9 5 4 .54 FEB 1. 1 .32 0.10 2.52 0.16 3 .73 7 .83 2. 1.33 0.60 2.93 0 .14 3 .57 8.54 3. 1.48 .0 .58 3.81 0.0 6 3.57 9.50 MAR 1 . 2.18 0 .54 3.92 0 .12 3 .89 10.65 2. 2 .62 0.48 3.86 0.30 3 .73 10.99 3 . 3 .27 0 .58 3.66 0 .30 3.73 11 .54 TOTAL MAF 0 .81 0 .26 1.12 0 .11 1.20 3 .50 INDUS WATERS ACCORD 7 of 8 E7 10-DAY SEASONAL SYSTEMWISE ADJUSTED ALLOCATIONS (EXCLUDING FLOOD FLOWS & FUTURE STORAGES) BALQCHISIMil - ~l:l8BIE PElllOO SUKKUR GUDDU TOTAL BARRA GE SYSTEM BARRAGE SVSTCM (1000 X Cal -------- ------------- --------" APR 1. 2.19 0 06 ') 21\ 2. 0 .57 0 .70 1 2 / 3 . 0.00 0.40 0 .40 MAY 1 . 0 .00 0 .68 0 .08 2. 0. 60 1.24 1.84 3. 0 .70 2.64 3 .24 J U N 1 . 2 .00 5.64 7 .64 ,&. 2, 2 .20 6 .44 8.64 0\ 3. 2.20 7 .83 10.03 JUL 1 . 2 .20 9.49 11 .69 2. 2 .20 8 .80 11 .00 3 . 2 .20 9 .80 12 .00 AUG 1. 2 .20 9 .21 11 .41 2. 2 .20 9.23 11.43 3. 2 .20 9 .45 11 .65 SEP 1. 2 .20 9.22 11 .42 2. 2 .20 9 .78 11 .98 3. 2 .20 10.24 12.44 TOTAL MAF 0.61 2.24 2.85 INDUS WATER ACCORD 8 of 8 E8 10-DA Y SEASONAL SYSTEMWISE ADJUSTED ALLOCATIONS {EXCLUDING FLOOD FLOWS & FUTURE STORAGES) BALOCHISJAN - BA!il PERIOD SUKKUR GUOOU TOTAL BARRAGE SYSTEM BARRAGE SYSTEM (lOOOXCsl ------------- ------------- OCT. 1 . 1.00 3.74 4 .74 2. 0.90 3.15 4 .05 3. 0 .90 3.15 4.05 NOV 1 . 0.80 2. 38 3. 18 2. 0.90 2. 54 3.44 3. 0 .60 2.17 2.77 ~ J DEC 1 . 0.70 2.21 2. 91 2. 0.65 1.68 2.33 3. 0.50. 1.32 1.82 JAN 1 . 0 .60 1.83 2.43 2. 0.65 2.12 2.77 3 . 0. 70 2.18 2.88 FEB 1 . 0 .60 1.91 2. 51 2. 0 .70 2.01 2.71 3. 0 .60 2.03 2.63 MAR 1 . 0.60 1.43 2.03 2. 0 .60 1.63 2.23 3. 0.40 1.12 1.5 2 TOTAL MAF 0 .25 1 .02