HYDERABAD, Feb 20: The Sindh Democratic Party (SDP) has criticized the convening of Ecnec meeting on Feb 28 which, according to it, was aimed at legalizing the illegal act of the construction of controversial Thal canal by the Punjab government and Wapda.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club here on Wednesday, SDP chairman, Yousuf Leghari, Ibrahim Joyo and Nazeer Memon termed the scheduled Ecnec meeting illegal.

They said that the construction of Thal canal and other projects pertaining to the Indus river water had to be approved by Indus River System Authority (Irsa) under Irsa Act 1992.

They said that the Thal canal project had neither been approved by Irsa nor had it been referred to it before being presented to the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) and Executive Committee for National Economic Council (Ecnec).

Mr Leghari said that the scheme had been prepared by Punjab and adopted by Wapda without completing the legal formalities.

He said that Wapda started the construction of the project getting anticipatory grant from the federal government and without the approval of Irsa. He added that Wapda did not even refer the canal plan to Sindh before presenting it to the CDWP and Ecnec.

He said that the plan of the canal called it a flood canal whereas in the executive summary it was clearly mentioned that it would be made perennial canal after some time.

Mr Leghari disputed the claim of Punjab and Wapda that a provision of water for this canal had been made in the water accord of 1991 and added that there was no mention of the canal by name anywhere in the main document of the accord.

He said that under the water accord, no canal could be constructed before determining the flow of water below Kotri. He accused Punjab for not allowing the study to determine the flow of water below Kotri.

He said that if the floodwater had to be used, then all the provinces should benefit from this common pool and added that why Punjab alone was being benefited.

The SDP chairman said that no surplus water was available in the Indus River and no study of its impact on the agriculture, economy and environment of Sindh had been carried out.

He observed that the canal would ruin the crops of chilies, cotton, sugarcane, mango, banana and fruit orchards and vegetables as it would be operated from April 1 when no flood water would be available at that time. He feared that Sindh’s share of water would be diverted to Punjab under the guise of surplus water.

The people of Sindh demand action against those federal agencies which conspired with Punjab in the illegal construction of the canal, he said.

He said that the people of Sindh also condemn the criminal silence of the Sindh government which failed to protest against the project.

On behalf of the people of Sindh, he called upon the military government not to become a party to this illegal scheme of Punjab and stop the construction of the canal immediately.

Mr Leghari appealed to the political parties, social welfare organizations, NGOs, media, intellectuals and people to unite and protest to stop the project.

He also appealed to the liberal and democratic forces of Punjab, NWFP and Balochistan to exert pressure on the federal government to reject this project in the ensuing meeting of the Ecnec.