HYDERABAD, June 20: The Sindh Water Committee, which met here on Wednesday, said that the government policy on water distribution and construction of dams and canals was illegal, unconstitutional and immoral and based on mala fide intentions.

The meeting, presided over by Awami Tehrik chief Rasool Bux Palijo, condemned the allocation of Rs40 billion in the federal budget for construction of water projects.

It said that the oppressed ‘nations,’ particularly people of Sindh, had regularly recorded their protest against the projects and added that fund allocation from combined resources of the provinces for the projects was a joke with the law, constitution and unity of the country.

It demanded that the amount reserved for the controversial projects should be paid as first instalment of compensation to Sindh for losses it had incurred due to water shortage. It said that as Sindh had been denied its water share, 2.5 million acres of land in the province had been destroyed and the total compensation for it came to Rs500 billion at the minimum.

The meting criticised the Sindh government for maintaining silence on the allocation and said that the government had repeatedly claimed that it would never support anti-Sindh dams and canals but it had not spoken a word against the allocation.

The committee observed that silence of the Sindh government on the crucial issue amounted to indirect support for the projects.

It said that any project which was against Sindh and Sindhi people was against the integrity and unity of Pakistan, and appealed to enlightened people of Punjab, intellectuals, democratic forces, political parties and civil society to raise voice on the issue.

Deploring water shortage in Sindh, the meeting pointed out that normally the shortage was experienced in winter but this year a water crisis was being witnessed in Sindh in June as the farmers were protesting against water rotation programme.

It observed that unless Chashma-Jhelum and Taunsa-Panjnad canals were closed, Sindh would continue to face water crisis throughout the year.

It said that even in the 1991 water accord, which was thrust on Sindh by force, it had been accepted that unless a study was undertaken to determine the quantum of water to be released downstream Kotri, at least 10 MAF water should continue to be released into the sea to check the backlash of sea water. It said that 16 years had passed but the government did not seem to be sincere in conducting such a study.

It pointed out that due to non-release of water downstream Kotri, precious mangrove forests and marine life had been destroyed and tens of thousands of acres of rich agriculture land in Thatta and Badin had been swallowed up be sea water. It said that the coastal belt had suffered economic and environmental losses to the tune of trillions of rupees which should be paid to Sindh.

It demanded that as per the recommendation of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and other international agencies, at least 76 MAF water be released downstream Kotri every year.

The meeting said that Wapda was working against the interests of Sindh and Pakistan and demanded its dissolution.

The committee decided to hold a programme at the Hyderabad Press Club on June 28 at which former senator Qazi Abdul Majeed, water expert A. N. G. Abbasi and former Sindh irrigation secretary Idrees Rajput will give presentations on the water issue. The meeting also decided to launch a mass contact movement throughout Sindh on the water issue.

Those who attended the meeting included Nazeer Memon, Abdul Majeed Nizamani, Mr Majeed, Muzaffar Sadiq Bhatti, Jami Chandio and Vishnomal.