ISLAMABAD: The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) said on Tuesday its composition or procedure for selection of its members could not be changed without approval by parliament.
It confirmed reports that the National Assembly’s standing committee on water and power had proposed inclusion of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas as a member of Irsa but said the authority itself could not take a decision on the matter.
Irsa has now decided to cancel a meeting proposed to be held on Dec 26 to discuss the issue.
“The recommendations of the NA standing committee have been received by Irsa through the ministry of water and power but Irsa is not the authority to decide the inclusion of any additional member from any federating unit in the composition of the authority,” said a statement issued by the water regulator.
Irsa spokesman Khalid Idrees Rana told Dawn that the present composition of the authority was approved through an act of parliament — Act XXII of 1992 — and hence any change in that set-up could also be made by parliament.
Irsa declined to make water releases from the reservoirs for power generation. It said the current decline in releases was mainly because of annual canal closure which was a routine affair and followed every year from late December to late January.
“The slashing of the reservoir’s releases during December/ January based on the provincial withdrawal plans had been conveyed about three months back to all concerned including Wapda, National Power Control Centre and the ministry of water and power,” Irsa said.
It said the regulator was managing water according to its functions and objectives stipulated in the Irsa Act of 1992 remaining within the ambit of the Water Apportionment Accord, 1991, which has already prioritised operation of reservoirs for irrigation over the power generation.It said Irsa would release water into river Indus as usual for drinking purposes during annual canal closures without any consideration for power generation. Daily discharges are normally made in a manner that help power authorities to take maximum benefit for power generation at peak demand.