Meetings of Irsa's advisory and technical committees this week.

ISLAMABAD -- Meetings of Indus River System AuAthority (IRSA)'s advisory and techniAcal committees are likely to be held this week virtually to determine waAter availability plan for the upcoming Kharif season starting from April 1.

The stakeholders are, however, in the dark regarding the prospective schedule of both the meetings of the Indus River System Authority (IRSA)'s advisory and technical committees, official source told The Nation. It is very unusual that only four days are remaining in Rabi season and the stakeholders are clueAless regarding the dates of the Advisory committee meeting, said the official.

'We have been told that both the meetings will be held this week,' one of the stakeholders, who requested not to be named, said. Owing to the austerity drive and the holy month of Ramazan the meetings of the advisory committee and technical committee are likely to be held virtually, the official said. The WaAter Accord 1991 empowered IRSA to deAtermine water availability in the country and provincial share twice a year, once for Kharif season and the other for Rabi season. Rabi season starts from October 1 and ends on March 31, while Kharif starts from April 1 and continue till SepAtember 30. Since Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) were exempted from cuts in the share, the shortage of water would be distributed between Sindh and the Punjab. IRSA's technical committee will finalise the anticipated water availAability for the Kharif season 2022-23 (starting from April 1), and will...