LARKANA: A large number of activists of anti-canal action committee, a conglomerate of different political parties and growers’ organisations, took out a large procession from Qambar bypass on Thursday in protest against federal government’s plans for the construction of six ‘strategic’ canals on Indus River.

The Sindh United Party (SUP) President Syed Zain Shah, who is also vice chairman of the Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB), said in his speech outside Jinnahbagh where the protesters had converged that the six canals were essentially not different from Kalabagh Dam project in that both were aimed at irrigating Cholistan’s arid land.

He said that he could understand growers and haris’ fears after the plan was given a go-ahead by President House on July 8, 2024, in the name of Green Initiatives.

He termed construction of new canals unconstitutional and said “we have come are here today after holding similar rallies in Badin, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah and Sukkur to make people aware about devastating implications of the canals”.

Says both the controversial plans are aimed at irrigating Cholistan

Shah, who is also convener of the Save Indus River movement, said the designated command area of the six canals would come to 3,500,000 acres and it would not only deprive people of their fertile land but also make them thirst for even a drop of water.

“Under the project, foreign investors will earn huge money at the cost of ruining vast fertile land being the lone source of their livelihood,” he said.

He feared the project would render 3.5 million acres barren in the province within five years and the affected area would soon reach 8 million acres.

He alleged that Pakistan Peoples Party was eased into power in return for dishing out land and natural resources of Sindh. Private investors would earn billions of rupees at the cost of rendering others’ fertile lands, he said.

He called on rulers to roll back the canals project and said that for the last six months political and social organisations were protesting against the canals on roads. “We don’t want to have any political mileage out of this issue,” he said.

He said the Save Indus River movement would continue to raise voice against the canals and soon big protests and processions would be held in Karachi and Hyderabad to convey to people at the helm of affairs the message that Sindh had rejected the canals in unequivocal terms.

Former MPA of Grand Democratic Alliance Moazzim Abbasi said in his brief speech that PPP had always taken harmful decisions. It seemed as if ‘justice’ had migrated from Sindh, he said, adding that PPP had snatched peoples’ rights.

Irfan Jatoi, president of Sindh Abadgar Board’s Larkana chapter, questioned why such controversial projects were being launched when there was no water available in the system.

Barrister Kazim Abbasi, PML-Q’s Babu Sarwar Siyal and others also took part in the protest.

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2025