KARACHI: The Sindh government has taken up the matter of `alarming` shortage of irrigation water which has now reached 55 per cent, more than thrice what the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) had promised for the season with Irsa and relevant quarters in Islamabad to ward off imminent dangers to the province`s vital crops, it emerged on Friday.

Ofucials in the provincial government said that in the provincial cabinet`s meeting held this week the secretary of the irrigation department had told the cabinet the shortfall in the irrigationwater faced by Sindh had reached up to 55pc as compared to 17pc shortfall promised by Irsa.

`This has happened due to late filling of Tarbela Dam,` the cabinet was told as quoted in the official minutes.

The meeting was followed by Sindh`s correspondence with Islamabad demanding mitigation of the province`s water needs through all available resources.

The ofEclal said due toincreasing temperatures at Skardu there were chances that the situation mightimprovein10days.However, `if the situation does not improve, the irrigation ministry will implement the rotation policy`.

According to the rotation policy,officials said the wheat-growing areas would be given priority.

The cabinet was informed that early Kharif season lasted from April 1 to June 10 and late Kharif from June 11 to September 30 and such water shortages were extremely dangerous.

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, during the meeting, asked about the position of irrigation water situation as per water accord and what should be demanded from the federal government.

The secretary of irrigation told the cabinet that according to the water accord Sindh should get flow of 40,000 cusecs of water, but `currently Sindh is getting only flow of 21,000 cusecs`.He added that to maintain indent of Sindh as per water accord the irrigation water should be given from Mangla and Jhelum River.

Official minutes of the meeting quoted CM Shah as saying that Sindh was part of Pakistan and Sindh had right over all rivers of Pakistan. `Sindh is allowing zero water for irrigation at Guddu Barrage to take care of lower riparlan,` Mr Shah was quoted as saying.

`The same is expected from the federal government that it should look after the interests of the lower riparian,` he added.

The meeting participants were informed that it was due to the mismanagement on the part of Irsa that dams were not filled on atimely basis, and `it is very sad that there is no separate provision of minimum drinking water in the water accord`.

Certain cabinet members, according to minutes of the meeting, indicated that lower-stream areas of Indus River were facing shortage of drinking water.

The chief minister asked the irrigation secretary to carry out an inquiry and take necessary action against `illegal tube wells` in upstream areas.

The cabinet also decided that the irrigation ministry would inquire and take necessary action against the use of illegal tube wells for withdrawal of water in upstream areas of the Indus.