PHOTO: EXPRESS
The last CCI meeting was held in December last year while constitutionally government is bound to convene such meeting at least once in ninety days.
For this delay, the government has been receiving severe criticism especially from Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah who once called it tantamount to deviating from a constitutional provision.
The National Water Policy (NWP) is also among the major agenda items.
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The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister or his representative will present about implementation of Kazi Committee Methodology for calculation of net hydel profit.
Resolution of energy problems in Balochistan including enhancement of absorption capacity besides allocation of 1,200 cusecs of additional water for Karachi city will also be part of discussion.
The National Water Policy
The NWP will be presented by Ministry of Water and Power as the issue has been a bone of contention specifically between the Centre and Sindh, which accuses Punjab of ‘robbing’ its due share of water.
The crucial matter was dropped from the previous CCI meeting at the eleventh hour due to incomplete work on the draft. Ministry of Water and Power forwarded the policy to the Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination on January 13, 2017 for formal approval of the CCI.
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The policy had been dragged since 2005 when its first draft was formulated after a long process of review and consultations with all major stakeholders. It was processed for approval of federal cabinet by different governments including the current one but could not be approved.
The 20-page draft of NWP focuses on the impacts of climate change, advocates water pricing and highlights regional cooperation challenges.
It also includes building reservoirs, efforts at war-footing for water conservation and improvement of its availability, reliability and quality of freshwater resources to meet agricultural, energy security and environmental needs.
The policy also stresses promoting appropriate technologies for rainwater harvesting in rural as well as in urban areas, controlling groundwater pumping and reducing over-extraction.
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The draft policy introduces the concept of adequate water pricing for proper operation and maintenance of the irrigation system and its long term sustainability.
Issues of gas supply
Supply of gas to the localities and villages in five kilometre radius of gas producing fields is another important yet longstanding issue that needs sorting out.
Four provinces have been persistently opposing the bill of new gas supply schemes planned near producing fields in order to stave off the threat of protest by local residents.
Gas companies are encountering problems in their exploration work and gas theft is on the rise near the fields, especially in the K-P and Sindh.
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Ministry of Petroleum has been claiming that it is impossible to undertake projects for gas supply to localities falling within five kilometre radius of the producing fields because of absence of funds.
The ministry has also been asking provinces to bear the cost over and above the funding criteria but they have not come up with substantial way out.
Another issue will be implementation of Article 154 of the Constitution – an issue on which federal government has been criticised since coming into power.
Other agenda items include Senior Citizens Privileges, presentation of annual report of National Electric Power Regulatory Authority 2014-15 and state of the industry report including short supplies of water in Pat feeder and Khirther.
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