Amidst ongoing calls from the PPP’s Sindh government for the federal government to backtrack from the controversial Cholistan canals project, the Punjab government has written to the Indus River System Authority (IRSA), alleging Sindh is drawing water in excess of its share.
In a letter dated April 9, the Punjab government has noted that IRSA declared a 43% water shortage for early Kharif 2025, allocating 6.702 million acre-feet to Punjab. This reduction, it said, has raised concerns about the province’s water security and agricultural productivity.
According to the Punjab Irrigation Department, the releases from Mangla Dam would be limited to 8,000 cusecs to ensure 60% filling of the dam before June 30. However, it said, it is facing significant challenges in accessing its allocated share of water, alleging that Sindh has been drawing water in excess of its entitled share.
The letter also alleged that Sindh is underreporting discharge data of its barrages and urged IRSA to ensure correct and transparent reporting from all Sindh barrages, and strictly monitor water shares during early Kharif. It has requested the operation of the CJ and TP link canals to access its rightful share from the Indus River.
As “evidence” of its claims, Punjab has said IRSA had announced a shortfall of 16% for both Punjab and Sindh for Rabi 2024-25, but by the end of the season, Sindh had a 19% shortage, while Punjab had a 22% shortage. Similarly, it said, an IRSA representative had inspected Sindh barrages on Feb. 15 and found Rice Canal was running at 936 cusecs despite the Sindh Irrigation Department claiming it was closed.
Separately, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said the province’s case on new canals on the Indus River was “very strong” and would lead to the plan being dropped. He said the province has submitted a summary before the Council of Common Interests on the project.