HYDERABAD, April 26: The Sindh Water Committee on Monday reiterated its opposition to the Greater Thal canal and alleged that the project had been undertaken to facilitate high-ranking defence officers who had been doled out land in the Thal desert. The committee in its meeting maintained that the construction of Kalabagh dam had been announced to obtain blessings of the ruling elite of Punjab to foist an unpopular government on Sindh. Rasool Bux Palijo presided over the meeting.

Speaking on the occasion, committee members alleged that a policy was being pursued by government functionaries to divide Sindh along ethnic lines. The meeting observed that the situation could alienate people of Sindh and create a gulf between the people of Sindh and Punjab.

The meeting appealed to all liberal and democratic people of the country to come to the rescue of Sindh by demanding stoppage of work on the Greater Thal canal and Rainee canal and withdrawal of the decision to divide Hyderabad district.

The committee pointed out to foreign donors who had offered financial assistance for the construction of large dams that the Sindh Assembly had adopted resolutions at least on two occasions against the Kalabagh dam and the Greater Thal canal.

The meeting also pointed out that the people of Sindh had been agitating against these projects for the past many years. The technical committee appointed by President Pervez Musharraf had also failed to decide in one year as to how much water was available in the system, it added.

The members recalled that all attempts made in the past like the Akhtar Hussain Committee (1968), Fazal-i-Akbar Commission (1970), Anwarul Haq Commission (1981) and the Haleem Commission (1983) failed to reach consensus on basic questions, including the quantum of available water although the problem in those days was not as acute as today.

The meeting also demanded that the issue of water sharing between Sindh and Punjab should be resolved.