September 27, 2002	Friday	Rajab 19, 1423

HYDERABAD, Sept 26: The Sindh Water Committee (SWC) has criticized Wapda’s water wing and Irsa for quoting wrong figures about the shortfall of 36 per cent in water availability during the coming Rabi season.

In a statement issued here on Wednesday, the SWC president, Rasool Bux Palijo, said that these were concocted and fake figures, which had created misgivings in the minds of the people of Sindh.

He said that by issuing fictitious figures, Wapda, which had always been found to be acting on behalf of Punjab government, was again preparing to steal water share of Sindh and divert it to Punjab.

He said that ever since Sindh stood up against the Kalabagh dam project, Wapda and Punjab government had unleashed a reign of economic terror against Sindh. He added that the illegal, unconstitutional and immoral greater Thal canal project was the latest example of the continuing economic terror.

Palijo said that Wapda officials, especially its chairman, had constantly dished out disinformation and half truths that have created great misunderstanding in the minds of the people of Punjab against the just and sensible stand taken by Sindh.

Quoting an example, he said that Wapda officials claimed that 2.2 million acre feet (MAF) water had gone waste into the sea and they dishonestly omitted to mention that during the last four years not a drop of water was released downstream Kotri and that the 1991 water accord envisaged release of 10 MAF water into the sea as the minimum requirement of the delta.

The SWC chief said: “Pakistan is the only country in the world in which the state and its organs, like Wapda and ministry of water and power, have ganged up at the behest of the largest province of the country to perpetrate economic genocide of the people of the second largest province by initiating construction of greater Thal canal.”

He deplored that the people of Sindh were being cornered and and warned that such an action was bound to harm solidarity and integrity of Pakistan.