All of the 44.5maf of water is being sucked out of the river by the 14 canals at Guddu, Sukkur and Kotri barrage
LAHORE: It is not only the average man on the street, but also many educated people in Sindh who blame dams for causing depletion in the Indus River and triggering the degradation of the Indus Delta. However, the record in the Sindh irrigation department will show that water available to the Sindh canals have increased from the pre-Mangla 35.6 million acre feet (maf) level to the post-Tarbela 44.5maf — in other words, an additional 8.9maf.
Now, if this additional water did not reach the delta, then where did it go? All of the 44.5maf of water is being sucked out of the river by the 14 canals at Guddu, Sukkur and Kotri barrages, leaving very little to flow below Kotri, thereby causing degradation of the delta. But why do provinces still complain of shortages? Because the population — and hence, the demand — has increased from eight crore to 20 crore people over the last 40 years when the last addition to supplies was made. It is the ignorance on the part of politicians and even the elite, who are holding back development in the country. The media must also share responsibility for allowing this criminal ignorance to persist.
Engr Khurshid Anwer
Published in The Express Tribune, December 31st, 2015.
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