KARACHI: Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on Sunday called on the federal government to take immediate notice of what he described as the unjust reduction in Sindh’s water share by the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) and ensure that the province receives its rightful allocation in accordance with the law.
Sindh has been experiencing a 22 per cent water shortage for the past ten days as Irsa continues efforts to equalise water shortages between Punjab and Sindh. Earlier, Irsa Director Operations Khalid Idrees Rana stated that the authority was adjusting what it considered excessive water use by Sindh and attempting to balance shortages between the two provinces by June 10. He also noted that water availability in the rivers remained unsatisfactory but expressed hope that rising temperatures would increase river flows and allow for greater water releases in the coming days.
Responding to the situation, Memon said in a post on X that Irsa’s continued disregard for Sindh’s concerns and the reduction of the province’s water share under the pretext of “shortage equalisation” was unacceptable. He argued that the move violated the spirit of the 1991 Water Apportionment Accord, stressing that no province should be favoured at the expense of another.
The senior minister urged the federal government to intervene and ensure that Sindh receives its due share of water under the law. He reiterated that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Sindh government would continue to protect the province’s water rights through all constitutional, legal and democratic avenues.
Highlighting the severity of the crisis, Memon said Sindh was facing acute water shortages across the province, with deficits reaching 22 per cent overall, 42 per cent at Guddu Barrage and 29 per cent at Kotri Barrage. He warned that the situation was threatening agricultural activities and jeopardising water supplies throughout Sindh, including in Karachi, the country’s economic centre.
Memon also shared a letter sent by the Sindh Irrigation Department’s Director of Regulation to Irsa’s Director Operations. The letter, dated May 23, stated that Sindh’s requested water indent had not been met since May 16, 2026.
According to the letter, Sindh had requested 95,000 cusecs of water from May 16 to 20 and 110,000 cusecs from May 21 to 25. However, Irsa limited downstream releases from Chashma to 80,000 cusecs and 85,000 cusecs during those periods, a move the department said would negatively affect water supplies during the critical early Kharif cultivation season.
The letter further pointed out that the Chashma-Jhelum (CJ) Link Canal and Taunsa-Panjnad (TP) Link Canal were drawing 11,500 cusecs and 8,337 cusecs, respectively, from the Indus River system. Sindh officials expressed concern that while these canals continued to operate, the province’s water requirements were not being fulfilled.
Describing the matter as a serious concern, the irrigation department warned that the unmet water demand was creating increasing pressure on farmers during the ongoing Kharif sowing season. The letter concluded by requesting Irsa to meet Sindh’s full water indent and suspend operations of the CJ and TP link canals to prevent agricultural losses, protect farmers’ livelihoods and avoid broader economic repercussions for Pakistan.