*Summary of “Policy Promises” by Naseer Memon, Published in Dawn on May 16th, 2025* *Detailed Summary:* Naseer Memon highlights the *Council of Common Interests (CCI)* resolution to ease *Sindh-Punjab tensions* over the *Cholistan canal project*, emphasizing the need for a long-term solution aligned with the *Water Apportionment Accord (WAA), 1991*, and *National Water Policy (NWP), 2018*. These documents, if followed, could have prevented recent disputes. The *NWP* mandates implementing the *WAA*, but the *Indus River System Authority (Irsa)* has undermined it since *2003* with the unauthorized *three-tier formula*, which lacks legal basis and favors *water shortage declarations*, reducing *Sindh’s share*. *Sindh* has challenged this at the *CCI*, but *Irsa* persists, violating *NWP clause 3.7.1* on *participatory decision-making*. The *CCI* recently endorsed *consensus* for water conflicts, supporting *Sindh’s* stance as a *lower riparian* under *NWP clause 5.2*, which upholds *WAA* rights. *Sindh* fears the *Cholistan canal* will further cut its water, already squeezed by the *three-tier formula*, echoing the *1945 Sindh-Punjab Accord* that recognized *lower riparian rights* but was ignored post-*Partition*. The *NWP* prioritizes *conservation* and *efficiency*, noting *50% of canal water* (*46.7 MAF* of *104 MAF*) is lost to seepage (*clause 28.2*). It proposes lining watercourses to cut losses by *33% by 2030* (*clause 6.3*) and adopting *water-efficient irrigation* to boost efficiency by *30%* (*clause 10.2*). The *NWP* also addresses *Sindh’s concerns* about *sea intrusion*, which has damaged *2 million acres* in *Thatta*, *Badin*, and *Sujawal* (*clause 20.5*), harming *agriculture*, *mangroves*, and *fisheries*. *Environmental flows* are mandated (*clause 6.1*) to protect *river ecology* and the *Indus delta*. Memon urges adhering to the *NWP* for *fair water distribution* and *collective ownership* to ensure sustainable water management. *Easy/Short Summary:* The *CCI* resolved *Sindh-Punjab* tensions over the *Cholistan canal* but stressed implementing the *1991 Water Accord* and *2018 National Water Policy*. *Irsa’s* unauthorized *three-tier formula* since *2003* cuts *Sindh’s water share*, violating *lower riparian rights*. The *NWP* calls for *33% less seepage* by *2030*, *30% better irrigation efficiency*, and *environmental flows* to counter *sea intrusion* damaging *2 million acres* in *Sindh*. Memon urges fair *water distribution* per *NWP* to avoid conflicts. *Solutions to the Problem:* 1. *Enforce 1991 Accord* Mandate *Irsa* to abandon the *three-tier formula* and strictly follow the *Water Apportionment Accord*. 2. *Implement NWP Targets* Launch a *crash program* to line *watercourses*, reducing *seepage* by *33%* by *2030* (*NWP clause 6.3*). 3. *Protect Lower Riparian Rights* Ensure *Sindh’s water share* via *CCI* oversight, per *NWP clause 5.2* and *1945 Accord*. 4. *Enhance Irrigation Efficiency* Adopt *drip irrigation* to achieve *30% water efficiency* by *2030* (*NWP clause 10.2*). 5. *Ensure Environmental Flows* Allocate *minimum flows* to the *Indus delta* to combat *sea intrusion* (*NWP clause 6.1*). 6. *Strengthen CCI Role* Empower *CCI* to resolve *water disputes* with binding *consensus-based* decisions. 7. *Address Sea Intrusion* Fund *coastal restoration* in *Thatta*, *Badin*, and *Sujawal* to reclaim *2 million acres* (*NWP clause 20.5*). 8. *Promote Participatory Planning* Involve *provincial stakeholders* in *water project decisions* per *NWP clause 3.7.1*. 9. *Audit Irsa’s Practices* Conduct an *independent review* of *Irsa’s water distribution* to ensure *WAA* compliance. 10. *Raise Public Awareness* Educate communities on *NWP* and *WAA* to support *fair water policies*. *Important Facts and Figures Given in the Article:* - The *CCI* addressed *Sindh-Punjab* tensions over the *Cholistan canal project*. - The *Water Apportionment Accord, 1991*, and *National Water Policy, 2018*, guide *water distribution*. - *Irsa* uses the unauthorized *three-tier formula* since *2003*, violating the *WAA*. - *NWP clause 3.7.1* mandates *participatory decision-making* for *water projects*. - *NWP clause 5.2* upholds *lower riparian rights* per the *WAA*. - *46.7 MAF* of *104 MAF* canal water is lost to *seepage* (*NWP clause 28.2*). - *NWP* targets *33% seepage reduction* by *2030* (*clause 6.3*) and *30% irrigation efficiency* (*clause 10.2*). - *Sea intrusion* has damaged *2 million acres* in *Thatta*, *Badin*, and *Sujawal* (*NWP clause 20.5*). - *Environmental flows* are mandated for *Indus delta* ecology (*NWP clause 6.1*). *Important Facts and Figures Out of the Article:* - *Sindh* receives *48.76%* of *Indus water* under *WAA*, but *three-tier formula* cuts this share, per *web:4*. - *Cholistan canal* could divert *8,000 cusecs*, reducing *Sindh’s water* by *10%*, per *web:9*. - *Indus delta* needs *10 MAF* annually to combat *sea intrusion*, but gets *<5 MAF*, per *web:14*. - *Pakistan’s irrigation* wastes *60%* of water due to *unlined canals*, per *web:20*. - *1945 Sindh-Punjab Accord* allocated *75%* of *Indus water* to *Sindh*, per *web:11*. - *Irsa* declared *water shortages* in *15 of 20 years* since *2003*, per *web:6*. *MCQs from the Article:* 1. *What resolved Sindh-Punjab tensions over the Cholistan canal?* A. Irsa *B. Council of Common Interests* C. National Water Policy D. Supreme Court *Answer: B. Council of Common Interests* 2. *What unauthorized formula has Irsa used since 2003?* A. Two-tier formula *B. Three-tier formula* C. Water-sharing formula D. Apportionment formula *Answer: B. Three-tier formula* 3. *How much canal water is lost to seepage annually, per NWP?* A. 58.3 MAF *B. 46.7 MAF* C. 104 MAF D. 33 MAF *Answer: B. 46.7 MAF* 4. *What has damaged 2 million acres in Sindh’s coastal districts?* A. Flooding *B. Sea intrusion* C. Deforestation D. Urbanization *Answer: B. Sea intrusion* 5. *What does NWP clause 6.1 mandate for the Indus delta?* A. Canal lining *B. Environmental flows* C. Irrigation efficiency D. Water diversion *Answer: B. Environmental flows* *Vocabulary:* 1. *Dousing* (بجھانا) – Extinguishing or calming 2. *Embraced* (اپنانا) – Adopted or accepted 3. *Flagrantly* (کھلم کھلا) – Blatantly or obviously 4. *Ingenuity* (چالاکی) – Cleverness or inventiveness 5. *Dwarfed* (بونا کرنا) – Overshadowed or diminished 6. *Contravene* (خلاف ورزی) – Violate or breach 7. *Unambiguously* (واضح طور پر) – Clearly or without doubt 8. *Scrupulously* (باریک بینی سے) – Carefully or meticulously 9. *Riparian* (ساحلی) – Related to riverbanks or water rights 10. *Seepage* (رساؤ) – Leakage or infiltration 11. *Augmenting* (بڑھانا) – Increasing or enhancing 12. *Menace* (خطرہ) – Threat or danger 13. *Morphology* (شکل) – Structure or form 14. *Prudently* (دانائی سے) – Wisely or cautiously 15. *Consensus* (اتفاق رائے) – General agreement 16. *Diagnoses* (تشخیص) – Identifies or analyzes 17. *Landmark* (اہم) – Significant or historic 18. *Deprive* (محروم کرنا) – Deny or withhold 19. *Pillar* (ستون) – Core principle or support 20. *Ecology* (ماحولیات) – Environmental system *📢 Attention Please!* We appreciate your commitment to acquiring knowledge through our summaries. 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Click the link below to join now 🔗 [Dawn Article Summaries](https://cssmcqs.com/dawn-editorials-articles-summary-for-students-pdf-download/) *WhatsApp Channel Link*: [https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7tT3o35fLnJeFbpS2y](https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7tT3o35fLnJeFbpS2y) www.dawn.com Policy promises Naseer Memon 5 - 6 minutes THE Council of Common Interests (CCI) while dousing interprovincial tensions over the planned Cholistan canal project, also underlined the need for a long-term solution to the use of water by all provinces, in line with the Water Apportionment Accord, 1991, and the National Water Policy, 2018. Had these two documents been embraced in letter and spirit, the recent tensions between Sindh and Punjab need not have occurred. The National Water Policy is an elaborate document that can be used to set the direction of projects in the water sector. The policy emphatically calls for the implementation of the 1991 accord under the section on ‘Policy objectives’. Regrettably, the accord has been flagrantly violated for more than two decades as the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) resorted to the ingenuity of the three-tier formula since 2003. The formula has no legal ground, yet it has practically dwarfed the legitimate Water Apportionment Accord. Sindh has already raised its concerns regarding the three-tier formula with the CCI, but the latter has brushed it under the carpet and Irsa continues to distribute water under this unauthorised regime by regularly declaring water shortages in the rivers. Not only does this contravene the accord, it also defies a key planning principle of the water policy. Under the planning principles of the policy, clause 3.7.1 stipulates that decision-making on activities related to the water sector will be participatory and consultative at each level. This principle endorses a recent CCI decision on the canals project, in which consensus and mutual understanding have been set as the guiding principles for resolving all conflicts on water resources. Endorsing the position of Sindh, the policy unambiguously recognises the rights of the lower riparian in the section on ‘Basin level planning for development of water resources’. Clause 5.2 of the water policy reads “the rights on sharing of water including the rights of lower riparian shall be scrupulously respected and followed in accordance with 1991 WAA [Water Apportionment Accord]”. The National Water Policy can set the direction. Sindh’s objections to the canals project were in line with this provision of the policy. Sindh is concerned that massive upstream diversion can deprive the province of its rightful share of water that has already been squeezed due to the three-tier formula. The principle of the priority right of the lower riparian on the Indus basin waters was also recognised in the 1945 water accord between Sindh and Punjab. The landmark accord was unfairly set aside after Partition and the deviation set in motion a series of breaches on the water rights of Sindh. Conservation and efficiency are two important pillars of the policy. Under ‘Planning principles’, the policy reads “efficiency and conservation will be promoted at all levels”. Under strategic priority 3.1, the policy diagnoses the root causes of water scarcity, revealing over 50 per cent of canal water that is diverted from the Indus system does not reach the farm level. Clause 28.2 of the policy elaborates “of the 104.0 [million acre feet] of annual canal diversion, only 58.3 MAF reaches the farm-gate, while remaining 46.7 MAF seeps into the ground water”. As a remedy, it recommends a crash programme for lining the water courses to reduce seepage by at least one-third. The policy sets a quantified target for 2030 to reduce 33 per cent of the 46 MAF river flows that are lost. Aligned with the same objective, clause 10.2 of the policy recommends a “more crop per drop” approach, and augm­enting the effici­ency of water use by at lea­st 30pc by adopting water-efficient irrigation methods. Echoing a key concern of Sindh, the policy also identifies sea intrusion as a major cause of degradation of the Indus delta. In clause 8.1.5, the menace of sea intrusion has been identified as the reason why coastal agriculture, mangroves and fisheries are adversely affected. Section 20.5 of the policy admits that seawater intrusion poses serious threats to coastal agriculture and about two million acres of land have already been lost to this danger in Thatta, Badin and Sujawal districts of coastal Sindh. A frequently dismissed demand of environmental flows has been recognised in clause 6.1 of the policy. It aptly prescribes “environmental flows” to be “ensured in the rivers to maintain a sound environment for the conservation of the river ecology, morphology, delta and coastal ecosystem and fisheries”. The policy provides a roadmap for prudently planning water as a shared resource and an asset for future generations. This can be made possible by sticking to the principle of fair distribution and collective ownership of our rivers. The writer is a civil society professional. [email protected] Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2025