HYDERABAD, March 13 Participants of a long march launched by the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum for the rehabilitation of Indus river were given a warm welcome by various nationalist parties and civil society leaders here at Haider Chowk on Saturday.

On their way to the local press club, they staged a sit-in at the chowk.

People showered flower petals on men, women and children participating in the march named as “Sindhu Yatra”. Activists of the Awami Tahreek, STP, SUP and leaders of the civil society also joined the march.

Speaking on the occasion, chairman of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum Syed Mohammad Ali Shah said Sindh existed due to Indus. If Sindh was to be saved, all the dams constructed on the river should be demolished.

He said Indus river had been imprisoned by dams and tens of thousands of people living in the delta had lost their livelihood and left their houses. Due to non-release of water in the river, three million acres of land of Badin and Thatta district had been turned barren, he said.

He said that the rulers had failed to implement any water agreement and warned that if 35 MAF water was not released downstream Kotri barrage, Thatta and Badin districts would vanish from the map of Sindh.

Unless the dams were demolished, Indus would remain dry, he said, demanding that Sindh should be given its due share of water. If the people of Sindh got united on one platform on the water issue, they would bring about a revolution. A central leader of the Awami Tahreek, Syed Alam Shah, said that after usurping the resources of Sindh, Indus was being robbed of its water.

He warned the rulers that if Sindh was not given its due share, all the people of the province would join fishermen.

SUP leader Dr Dodo Mehri said that after obtaining votes from the people of Sindh, the government were destroying Sindh. Others who spoke on the occasion included STP leader Sachal Gopang, Awami Jamhoori Council member Noor Nabi Rahujo, water expert Nazeer Memon and president of the Sindh Hari Porhiyat Council Punhal Sario.

The march will reach Al-Manzar Jamshoro on Sunday (today) where a public meeting will be held to mark the world river day.