Syed Khursheed Shah says water shortage to end by June 30

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Water Resources Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah on Thursday said that the water situation in the country will improve by June 30, ARY News reported.

Addressing the floor of the National Assembly, Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah said Sindh is facing an acute shortage of water and hoped that situation will improve by June 30. He said the shortage in water will also be shared with the provinces accordingly.

Shah said we have to be united in this tough situation as the country faced the water crisis in 1951 too.

The minister said provinces will get their due share of water as per the accord of 1991.

Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman on Wednesday expressed concern over the water crisis in Sindh. “The 60pc shortage of water in River Indus is very dangerous,” she told the media in Islamabad.

The population of the province, agriculture and livestock are at risk due to the 52pc to 62pc shortage in Sindh’s barrages and canals. “Many cities of the province are not receiving water due to a shortage in the Indus,” Ms Rehman said.

She further said right now, Kotri barrage downstream should have an adequate 15,000 cusecs of water, but instead less than 2,000 cusecs were being released. Due to this severe shortage, farmers were dangerously at a risk of losing their cotton, rice and other crops in Sindh. “Water scarcity in Sindh and south Punjab is worrisome in this warm weather.”