KARACHI, March 3: The Sindh Democratic Alliance has criticised the federal government move for approving the controversial Thal Flood Canal project without listening to the Sindh’s point of view and its growers’ reservations.

“Thal canal is as much dangerous as for the agro-economy of Sindh as the Kalabagh Dam project. The Sindh government has filed 19 objections on the project but none of them was taken into account by the executive committee of the National Economic Council,” said Imtiaz Shaikh, a leader of SDA, and appealed to the President to help stop the project.

He said in a statement that the project was basically related to the irrigation system, therefore its proper forum was IRSA. He said before taking it to the ECNEC for its approval it should have been referred to the central Development Working Party.

But, he said, even before its approval, the canal had been dug to 5 kms which indicated the federal government’s tilt towards the interest of the Punjab.