It will be seen that Punjab is taking only a small percentage of its legitimate share from the Tarbela Dam.
LAHORE: The three eastern rivers were ceded to India under the Indus Waters Treaty subject to the World Bank building replacement works on the western rivers to compensate Pakistan for the loss of the three rivers. Two dams, a number of barrages and many link canals were built for this purpose. The Tarbela Dam alone increased supplies by 25 per cent by storing surplus flood water in which all the provinces had a legitimate share. However, Sindh is getting the lion’s share of 70 per cent from the dam. Northern Punjab is unable to take its full share in the absence of a left bank canal, which only the Kalabagh Dam can provide. Northern parts of Punjab do not get any water from any dam on the Indus, whether it is the Tarbela Dam, the Bhasha Dam or the Akohri or Skardu dams. South Punjab is taking only 20 per cent through the Chashma-Jhelum (CJ) and Taunsa-Panjnad (TP) link canals. The CJ link canal is irrigating three million acres in upper parts of south Punjab and the TP link canal is irrigating 1.5 million acres in lower parts of south Punjab.
These lands were previously irrigated by the Sutlej River and would dry up if replacement water is not provided from the Indus. It will be seen that Punjab is taking only a small percentage of its legitimate share from the Tarbela Dam. It is, therefore, quite wrong to assert as is often done that Punjab is stealing Sindh’s share of water through the CJ and TP link canals.
Engr Khurshid Anwer
Published in The Express Tribune, September 11th, 2013.
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