HYDERABAD: Not a day passes in Sindh, from Karachi to Kashmore, without a demonstration in protest against controversial water projects upstream Indus River. Activists of political, social and literary organizations have held meetings, seminars and conferences and passed resolutions against International Financial Institution’s proposed funding for large dams in Pakistan but they are paying no heed to them.

At a conference convened by the Sindh National Council on “water issues and the role of international organizations against Sindh” here on Sunday, leaders belonging to different political, nationalist and religious parties, representatives of farmers’ organizations, technocrats and writers rejected the World Bank report on Kalabagh dam and the report of the technical committee on water issues.

They resolved to discard their petty differences and unite on one platform for launching a joint and consistent struggle against the anti-Sindh Kalabagh dam and greater Thal canal projects.

Speaking on the occasion, SNC leader Hussain Bux Thebo said that if the dams were constructed by force, the agrarian economy of Sindh would be destroyed.

He said that three times more money than its original cost had been spent and the repairs of Tarbela dam during the last 15 years.

He said that wherever dams were constructed the affected people were given compensation but as far as Sindh was concerned its mangroves and crops had been destroyed due to the backlash of sea water but no compensation had been paid to the people of Sindh. He said that this has happened because no water had been released downstream Kotri.

Awami Tehrik chief Rasool Bux Palejo said that there was no need to become sentimental but all problems confronting Sindh should be tackled on scientific basis.

“We must stand on our own solid legs”, he said and that we should not present our case before those organization which were the enemies of Sindh.

He accused the rulers of terrorism and said they should be taken to international court of justice.

He stressed the need for unity among the Sindhi nation for launching a joint struggle to protect the rights of Sindh.

JSQM chairman Basheer Khan Qureshi said that the Indus River was the property of Sindh and Punjab had no right to construct any dam on Sindhu (Indus). He warned that if excesses against Sindh were not stopped, the country would disintegrate.

He said that without joint and consistent struggle, the Indus River could not be saved.

PPP leader Taj Haider said that the people of Sindh were only raising their voice through conferences, demonstrations and newspapers but nobody was paying any attention to their problems.

He said that same old game was being played with Sindh adding that 36 MAF water was given to India in 1961 and a conspiracy was again being hatched to give more water to India which would be obviously from the Indus River system.

The president of the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture, Syed Qamaruzzaman Shah, said that a lot of money was needed to build Kalabagh dam but the government had no such money.

He claimed that the then Wapda chairman, during the regime of Nawaz Sharif had warned that if Kalabagh dam was constructed Sindh would secede.

Water expert Abdul Majeed said that robbery was being committed on waters of the Indus River and that the construction of greater Thal canal was absolutely illegal.

He said that if the people of Sindh took the things lightly, the entire Sindh would be rendered barren.

Water expert Nazeer Memon, Sindh Saghar Party leader Azizullah Bohiyo, Professor Mushtaq Mirani, Hashim Khoso, SNF leader Ayub Shar, Dr Dodo Mehri, Punhal Sario and columnist Zulfiqar Halepto also spoke on the occasion.

The conference adopted several resolutions rejecting the World Bank report and termed it as an interference into the internal affairs of Pakistan.

It demanded that instead of building more dams, efforts be made to eliminate salinity and water logging, an impartial commission be appointed to resolve the controversial water dispute between Sindh and Punjab and a new agreement should be signed for the distribution of water between Punjab and Sindh.

It demanded that all the canals, channels and watercourses should be lined.

It cautioned the rulers that the Kalabagh dam site was located on salt range and if dam was constructed in would cause wide spread devastations in case of any earthquake.