Daily Times

The Punjab Irrigation Department is facing a barrage of accusations of affording preferential treatment to a chemical plant owned by an established industrial group that has recently entered the Pakistani chemical industry.

Irrigation Department sources confirmed on Saturday the province’s irrigation system faces a severe water shortage and applications for grant of water filed by farmers and agriculturalists remain pending for years. However, the department high-ups are scurrying to process the influential company’s request for grant of 7.5 cusec water from the Mohajir Branch Canal in violations of the Water Policy of 2018.

The Water Policy 2018 clearly prioritizes the allocation of water for drinking and agriculture, over other uses such as industrial and mining purposes, which hold lower priority. The chemicals company at the receiving end is owned by a known industrial group that controls a listed textile unit and has also sponsored wind power plants in the recent decades. The chemical company had filed an application on 21.05.2022, for grant of 7.5 cusec of water from the Mohajir Branch Canal for the purposes of setting up a soda ash plant.

According to certain officials of the Irrigation Department requesting anonymity, the company is pressuring officials to allocate water to it out of turn, violating the established Water Policy and the principle of first-come, first-served.

Intriguingly, despite a ban on direct outlets from canals, certain officials from the Irrigation Department are alleged to have recommended lifting this ban to accommodate the company’ demands by sanctioning a specific water outlet along the Mohajir Branch Canal, a critical water source of up to 1750 cusec according to the Irrigation Department’s record. Sources said, discharge at the branch canal has consistently fallen short of 1750 cusec, never surpassing 1650 cusec even during flood seasons.

This shortfall compounds the challenges faced by farmers and others who depend on the canal for their agricultural and drinking water needs.

A summary for acceding to the company’s request was forwarded to the Chief Minister’s Office by certain officials of the Irrigation Department. The CM office responded about a year ago with certain observations including the fact that the availability of water had not been thoroughly discussed with facts or figures with respect to any surplus available over and above agricultural requirements. The CM office also required provision of historical data as per the Water Accord to assure that making extra water available for industrial purpose will not affect the rights of farmers of perennial and non-perennial system of the Mohajir Branch in any way. It was also pointed out that the certificate issued by the Superintending Canal engineer regarding availability of water was not sufficient and justified.

According to the minutes of meeting dated 30.12.2023, the Irrigation Department has taken a position with respect to the scarcity of water and no surplus water being available over and above the full agricultural requirements. However, it appears that some force within the Irrigation Department is lobbying for the chemical plant and recommending lifting of the ban on direct outlets while also violating the Water Policy 2018 and by passing many other applicants.

Sources said that if elements within the Irrigation Department succeed in currying this favour, the consequential out-of-turn provision of water would seriously undermine the rights of villagers and agriculturalists who are grappling with water scarcity in the region.

The Punjab Irrigation Department is mandated to ensure equitable distribution of water in the province. Sources said that allegations of preferential treatment to a company is very likely to set process of the anti-corruption establishment in motion against the officials and the politicians backing the company by advocating arbitrary exercise of discretion and power in the grant of natural resources to a few privileged ones seemingly driven by extraneous and non-meritorious considerations.