HYDERABAD, March 27: Awami Tehrik chief Rasool Bux Palijo urged the newly-elected government on Thursday to appoint an international and impartial commission of water experts to help solve the perennial dispute among provinces over share in water in accordance with international laws and norms.

Mr Palijo who also heads the Sindh Water Committee warned of disastrous consequences of unavailability of water in the province and said that it was a foregone conclusion that agricultural production would receive a tremendous setback this year.

He said at a news conference with other committee members including Nazeer Memon, Jami Chandio and Syed Alam Shah said that wheat production would experience 50 per cent shortfall, precipitating an economic crisis in the province.

He said that controversy over the distribution of water had existed between Sindh and Punjab for the past 150 years and Sindh had always been deprived of its due share in water in accordance with international laws.

He said what he described as robbery of Indus waters over the past 15 years had become so rampant that it put into jeopardy even the unity of the country.

He foresaw a shortfall of 50 per cent in wheat production and said that acute shortage of water would also have a disastrous effect on sugarcane, which was cultivated in March.

Mr Palijo claimed that the Irsa (Indus River System Authority) had directed that Mangla Dam should not be filled keeping in view the prevailing situation but the Punjab government, in violation of the instruction, continued to get water from the dam, leading to acute shortage of water in Sindh.

The Chashma-Jehlum link canal was meant to be a flood canal but it was converted into a perennial canal right after it had been excavated, he said, adding that Irsa had further directed that no water should be released into this canal but the Punjab again violated the instruction and continued to release water into the canal.

It was not only illegal and unconstitutional but was also tantamount to robbery of Sindh’s share. Although the 1991 water accord, too, was unconstitutional and forcibly thrust on the province still it was not being implemented, he said.

Mr Palijo said that the sole purpose of creating Irsa was to ensure judicious distribution of water among the provinces but it had miserably failed to fulfil its mandate.

He accused Irsa of destroying the province and demanded that the Chashma-Jehlum link canal should be closed forthwith and Sindh should be given its due share of water.

He said that the Wapda had always worked against the interests of smaller provinces and used Irsa against Sindh by stopping its water. The conspiracy was aimed at inciting people against the new government, he said and urged the prime minister to issue orders for releasing water.

He demanded that Wapda should be disbanded and laid stress on the fact that unequal distribution of water and robbery of Indus waters had produced disharmony between the federating units.

He reminded the new government, especially the prime minister that they had been voted into power by people who expected them to provide them justice and rid the country of anti-Pakistan policies of Pervez Musharraf.

He said with a bit of sarcasm that on the one hand the district government was spending millions on the construction of bridges and flyovers while on the other people were dying of hunger.