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Storage at Tarbela Dam stopped: Zardari gives water relief to Sindh

* Taunsa-Panjnad water flow to be reduced g Punjab, Sindh asked to share shortage equally
* Rs 24bn package for Larkana approved

KARACHI: A special meeting chaired by President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday discussed the water shortage plaguing Sindh, and decided to provide immediate relief by reducing the flow of the Taunsa-Panjnad Link Canal and suspending water storage in Tarbela Dam.

“The decision to stop storing water in Tarbela Dam was taken to meet the requirements of people in downstream areas,” stated a press release issued after the meeting. Held at Bilawal House, the meeting was convened after Sindh Irrigation and Power Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah raised the issue of an expected water shortage before the president on June 20. During a detailed discussion on the water shortage in Sindh, the participants were informed the decline in the Indus River’s water level was to blame for the shortage.

Equal share: President Asif Ali Zardari also directed the Punjab and Sindh governments to share the water shortage equally, Online reported. Shah told a press conference following the meeting that Punjab would receive additional water from the Mangla Dam. He said 10 million-acre/feet of water would be released from Kotri Barrage daily in case of excess water.

Separately, during a meeting regarding the construction of highways, it was decided that the National Highway Authority would immediately commence work on the Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway (M9) at a cost of Rs 8 billion. The president was informed that work on the M9 would start in October 2009 and would be completed by the end of 2011. The president also approved a comprehensive Rs 24 billion development package for Larkana.

A third meeting on fisheries was held as a follow-up of the president’s visit to the European Union (EU). It was decided the Karachi Fish Harbour would be upgraded in accordance with EU requirements. It was also decided that a welfare plan would be designed for Sindh’s fishermen to ensure income opportunities for the fishermen’s community. razzak abro/online

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