HYDERABAD: Sindh Senior Min­is­ter for Food and Parlia­mentary Affairs Nisar Ahmed Khuhro has said that Wapda is involved in ‘theft’ of Sindh’s share of water, which is diverted to somewhere else and the fact made headlines in Friday’s newspapers.

Addressing a press conference in the Defence area here on Friday, he said Sindh’s water was being ‘stolen’ through tube wells upstream Guddu along the riverbed in Punjab. He asked the Punjab government and the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) to explain why it had not been checked as yet.

Mr Khuhro said that the federal government’s water-related excesses against Sindh stood exposed.

He recalled that being the chief minister of Punjab in the past, Nawaz Sharif had opened the Chashma-Jhelum link canal without seeking Sindh government’s permission. Under a pact, it was mandatory upon Punjab to seek Sindh’s permission if this canal had to be opened. “The canal was not opened for one time, rather it had perpetually been opened. It was the PPP government that got it closed in 2008 and maintained the closure till 2013. Then [former president] Pervez Musharraf got the Greater Thal Canal built without Sindh’s permission,” he went on.

Mr Khuhro said that Sindh is the lower riparian and had the right to first use of water as the same principle was followed in water distribution with India when it came to the construction of the Baghliar dam.

He said that when a tail-ender or lower riparian claimed water share in its distribution within a province, such yardstick was equally applicable for a province within the inter-provincial distribution. He said that Irsa had proved that Wapda had committed irregularities in water distribution thus an artificial crisis was created for Sindh. He said Wapda was aware of the fact that it was time for early sowing of the cotton crop in lower Sindh and farmers needed water.

“Around 500 tube wells are operating upstream Guddu along the riverbed and water is being lifted there. Who has allowed it? When direct outlet cannot be allowed in a canal, how can this be permitted in riverbed,” he asked.

Mr Khuhro hinted that a survey of the area might be undertaken by the Sindh government along with the media to examine the situation if notice was not taken of it. He said Irsa should explain why this water was being ‘stolen’.

The senior PPP leader cautioned the federal government against antagonising Sindh. He said that excesses had been committed against Sindh in the past on the Kalabagh dam issue.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2017