QUETTA: The Sindh government has assured Balochistan that additional water will be released to address the ongoing shortage in the Pat Feeder and Kirthar canals following high-level negotiations between officials of the two provinces.
Acting on the directives of Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti, Balochistan Senior Provincial Minister and Irrigation Minister Mir Muhammad Sadiq Umrani led a high-level delegation to Sukkur and Karachi to discuss the water crisis affecting the province’s green belt areas. The delegation included provincial ministers Mir Muhammad Saleem Khosa and Mir Muhammad Khan Lehri, along with Irrigation Secretary Sohail-ur-Rehman Baloch.
After extensive discussions with officials of the Sindh Irrigation Department in Sukkur, the Balochistan delegation held formal talks in Karachi with Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro and Irrigation Secretary Zarif Ahmed Kheoro. Other participants included Balochistan Provincial Minister Sardar Faisal Khan Jamali, Chief Engineer Canals Qurban Ali Jatoi, Coordinator Samii Baloch, and Pat Feeder XEN Fareed Ahmed Pandrani.
During the meeting, the Balochistan delegation stressed that Sindh should ensure the release of the province’s allocated water share under the 1971 inter-provincial water agreement, which earmarks 6,700 cusecs for the Pat Feeder Canal and 2,400 cusecs for the Kirthar Canal. The delegation said the prolonged shortage had severely affected farmers, agricultural lands, and the overall economy of the region.
Following more than four hours of negotiations, Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro assured the delegation that Balochistan’s water share would be provided. He announced that an additional 700 cusecs would be released to the Pat Feeder Canal to reduce the shortfall, while 1,000 additional cusecs would be supplied to the Kirthar Canal.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to resolving inter-provincial water issues through dialogue and mutual consultation.
Speaking after the meeting, Mir Muhammad Sadiq Umrani said protecting Balochistan’s water rights remained the provincial government’s top priority. He acknowledged that water shortages had created serious economic hardships for farmers and assured them that the provincial government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti, was making continuous efforts to resolve the issue.
He also urged the public not to be misled by what he described as “vested interests” spreading misinformation for political purposes, expressing confidence that the improved water supply would soon help meet agricultural needs, particularly for the province’s rice crop.
