Body formed to provide additional water to Karachi

LAHORE: The Steering Committee of National Water Policy has constituted a body to review the matter of providing additional water to Karachi in pursuance of the decision of the Council of Common Interests (CCI).

The committee, which met with Federal Minister for Water Resources Moonis Elahi in the chair at the Ministry of Water Resources on Tuesday, decided that the body would be headed by the Joint Secretary (Water) whereas IRSA Members, MD KWSB, and provincial secretaries of Irrigation Departments would be its members.

The minister highlighted the importance of water sector and underscored the importance of implementation of the National Water Policy for achieving economic goals of the country and wellbeing of the people of Pakistan.

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He reviewed the status of concurrence on the Implementation Framework of National Water Policy presented in the first meeting of the Steering Committee held in September 2021.

Appreciating the painstaking efforts made by the ministry in formulating the Implementation Framework, Elahi urged the stakeholders to expedite furnishing the concurrence of the respective stakeholders within two weeks. The stakeholders were also directed to submit their respective concurrence through the respective P&D Departments being a consolidated input of the provinces.

As an additional agenda item, he also considered request of the Government of AJ&K for resolution of 614 cusec water from Mangla to irrigate its surrounding areas lying in AJK. In this regard, he suggested the AJK Govt to submit a reference to the Ministry of Water Resources for taking further necessary action.

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He concluded the meeting by appreciating the efforts made by the Ministry of Water Resources to arrange second meeting of the steering committee of the NWP within a short period of three months. He encouraged the stakeholders particularly the provinces to follow the same spirit and extend their best cooperation in implementation of the national water policy.

The meeting was attended by the Federal Secretary of Ministry of Water Resources, Planning, Development & Special Initiatives (PD&SI), representatives of Finance Division, Ministry of National Food Security & Research (NFS&R), and the provincial secretaries of Irrigation and Agriculture departments of the Governments of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan as well as representatives of Governments of Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan also attended the meeting. Besides, representatives of WAPDA, Surveyor General of Pakistan, IRSA, Flood Commission and the Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters were also present on the occasion.