Environment downstream of Kotri Barrage

According to the news item (Dec 31), the Sindh Minister for Power, Shazia Marri said that the areas downstream Kotri barrage are in worst ecological conditions due to scarcity of fresh water and intrusion of seawater. She appealed to all the stakeholders to release freshwater, as it was necessary for the protection of biodiversity in the downstream areas.

Worldwide, there is an increasing recognition of the importance of environmental flows in the rivers, as a key propeller of ecosystem processes.

These ecosystems sustain ecological integrity and biodiversity in rivers. It is also widely acknowledged that the construction of dams and storage reservoirs in rivers are the greatest threats to the health of an aquatic ecosystem.

It is unfortunate that upstream stakeholders view water flowing downstream of Kotri barrage as a waste. According to the World Commission on Dams report (2000), 29 countries use environmental flow releases (EFR) from dams to maintain a sustainable balance between the purpose of the dam and the needs of downstream ecosystems and resource users. Eleven countries are considering implementing EFRs.

In Australia, water-dependent ecosystems have been recognised as legitimate users of water and the provision of water regimes to sustain, and where necessary restore, biological diversity and ecosystem processes is a key element of the national water reform agenda.

The South African National Water Act, 1998 elucidates the necessary balance that must be struck between development and environment protection goals; ensuring that water is allocated equitably and used beneficially in the public interest, while promoting environmental values.

Typically, minimum flow refers to the least amount of water required within a river, which is necessary to maintain water quality and the survival of dependent ecosystem varieties.

In certain countries, laws stipulate the actual percentage of the minimum flow requirements. For example, the Chilean ! framewor k notes that this figure should not be greater than 20 per cent, or in exceptional cases, not more than 40 per cent of the average annual flow.

The Swiss Federal Law on the Protection of Waters (1998) prescribes water protection targets and minimum flow figures for different average flow rates which take into account the ecological function of the water bodies. While regulations at the federal level establish minimum flows, the Cantons detail out these provisions, depending on geographic, economic and ecological factors.

The 1991 Water Accord mentions 12 billion cubic meters per year (10 maf million acre-feet per year) below Kotri.

The Pakistan government sponsored a study in year 2005 that recommends a whooping low 12.2 million cubic meters a day (3.6 maf a year). Studies conducted in Sindh recommend 43 billion cubic meters a year (35 maf/year).

The least Shazia Marri can do is to get provincial legislation or Sindh River Act, enacted by the Sindh Assembly, clearly outlining the downstream environmental flows plus the watering of key wetlands and mangroves as mandatory and, to take priority over extractive uses of the Indus river.

F. H. MUGHAL
Karachi