HYDERABAD, March 5: The Sindh Abadgar Board has observed that the Kalabagh dam is unacceptable to people of Sindh even on technical grounds because it will destroy the province.

The board's general council at a meeting at the Shikarpur Gymkhana on Saturday discussed economic crisis in Sindh, injudicious distribution of irrigation water among the provinces, corruption and mal-administration in distribution of water in Sindh, increase in prices of oil, gas, electricity and fertilizers and rampant lawlessness.

According to the meeting's proceedings faxed to Dawn, the general council believed that billions of rupees earmarked for the Kalabagh dam would go waste because the dam would neither produce required electricity nor meet water needs of the country.

It argued that even the Indus River System Authority had rejected construction of the dam in 1996 and the decision had not been challenged in the Council of Common Interests. The meeting demanded that the project should be abandoned.

Expressing concern over injudicious distribution of irrigation water, the meeting claimed that during the last 15 years, Punjab, NWFP and Balochistan had not shared the shortage of water which was a great injustice to Sindh because it was the only province which had suffered on account of water shortage.

It observed that the ratio of poverty in the country was 35 per cent but in Sindh it was 50 per cent and at some places in the province 81 per cent.

The meeting criticized the inordinate increase in prices of oil, gas, electricity and fertilizers which had plunged the agriculture sector into a deep crisis and made it impossible for poor growers to arrange two square meals for their families. It demanded that the government should review the prices of the essential items.

Referring to lawlessness in the province, the meeting noted that kidnappings for ransom, highway robberies and murders had destroyed the peace of mind of people. It said incidents of suicide due to rampant unemployment were also on the rise in Sindh.

The meeting called upon the government to take steps to restore the rule of law in the province.

The meeting also took a serious notice of the political chaos in Sindh which had created uncertain conditions. It observed that bifurcation of districts was one such issue as the districts were being divided on political basis.

It demanded that on the pattern of Punjab, projects should also be launched in Thar, Kohistan, Thatta and Badin for cattle breeding for which the federal government should initially approve Rs5 billion.

Abdul Majeed Nizamani presided over the meeting.