ISLAMABAD: The Council of Common Interest (CCI) in its 37th meeting unanimously approved the first ever National Water Policy (NWP) of Pakistan.
The meeting, which was held at the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday, was chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, federal ministers and other senior officials attended the meeting.
Planning Commission of Pakistan Deputy Chairman Sartaj Aziz briefed the CCI on the draft national water policy of Pakistan.
He told the meeting that the policy had been prepared after consultation with all major stakeholders and a national level consultative seminar was also held to reach a consensus. Proposals presented in the 36th CCI meeting were also incorporated in the policy.
According to Sartaj Aziz, the salient features of water policy include water use and allocation on priorities, integrated planning for development and use of water resources, environmental integrity of the basin, impact of climate change, trans-boundary water sharing, irrigated and rain-fed agriculture, drinking water and sanitation, hydropower, industry, ground water, water rights and obligations, sustainable water infrastructure, water related hazards, quality management, awareness and research, conservation measures, legal framework and capacity building of water sector institutions.
The CCI was told that implementation of NWP would be undertaken through a national-level body namely -National Water Council (NWC) – to be chaired by the prime minister and comprising federal ministers for water resources, finance, power, planning development and reforms and all provincial chief ministers as members.
The NWC shall oversee the implementation of NWP and a steering committee, headed by federal minister for water resources, will monitor the implementation with representatives from federal and provincial governments and departments concerned.
The CCI appreciated the efforts of the Planning Commission of Pakistan and the Ministry of Water Resources.
Moreover, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government briefed the meeting on implementation of Kazi Committee Methodology (KCM) for calculation of Net Hydel Profits (NHP).
After detailed deliberations, the CCI directed the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination, Planning Commission of Pakistan and Ministry of Water Resources to reconcile the claims in consultation with the provinces and resubmit the issue for decision in the next CCI meeting.
Meanwhile, differences between the federal government and provinces over development budget emerged at a meeting of the National Economic Council on Tuesday prompting a walkout by the chief ministers of Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Flanked by Pervez Khattak and Abdul Quddus Bizenjo at a joint press conference here, Sindh CM Murad Shah said that they recorded reservations over new development schemes at the meeting, adding that the incumbent government would complete its term in May and it could not design the PSDP for the next fiscal year.
“We demanded for taking all the four provinces into consideration while allocating funds.”
KP CM Pervez Khattak said that they wanted to include projects of their choice in the development budget. “We have faced similar deceits previously as well.”
Balochistan CM Abdul Quddus Bizenjo questioned why they were called if they had no importance in the development programme.
Published in Daily Times, April 25th 2018.
