KARACHI, July 1: A ‘war for water’ among the country’s federating units is looming large and the preparations for a showdown, perhaps final, seem to be in their final phase.
The haves and have-nots have been flexing muscles ever since the ongoing water shortage, in the wake of a decade of low monsoon rains. Water sharing issue turned out to be a matter of prime importance in inter-provincial relationship. The ties, especially between Sindh and Punjab, were marred by, what the people of Sindh now strongly believe, the pro-Punjab policies pursued by the Centre in complete disregard to the due rights of the smaller provinces.
The public reaction, often very strong and sometimes violent, in Sindh over the Centre’s arbitrary decision to go ahead with the construction of the Greater Thal Canal (GTC) is a manifestations of the Sindh people’s sentiments. Their voice echoed in the provincial assembly when the opposition benches presented their electorates’ case and even the ruling coalition had to come out with opposition the project. The assembly unanimously adopted a resolution calling on the Centre to do away with the project once and for all.
The Sindh Assembly’s resolution and its members’ protest against the GTC has so far failed to impress upon the Centre that the canal project has become a matter of life and death for the entire population of Sindh.
However, certain elements in the Punjab government took the resolution as a hostile move. Even the Punjab Minister for Irrigation, Amir Sultan Cheema, was quoted as saying that the opponents of Thal Canal were ‘agents of Indian (or Hindu) lobby. The reported statment had stirred a controversy and followed by denials and explanations at different levels till recently. One may hope that the matter would be settled amicably in due course of time, but the damage has already been done to the relationship between the two major provinces.
At public level, the protest rallies in the interior of Sindh, against Thal Canal project, are picking up with every passing day amid fear that the people’s resentment might take the shape of a major movement. Speeches by the leaders of political, social and other organizations at the rallies focus on the adverse effects of the canal on Sindh economy. They are of the view that the project is bound to render the entire agricultural land of the province barren and that Sindh would turn into a desert.
Most of the leaders, especially nationalist ones, are ready to go to the extent of a confrontation with the big province if it continued to deny, what they believe, “the smaller provinces’ legitimate rights.” They are also equally critical of the “so-called well-wishers of Sindh” and accuse them of helping the Establishment to complete the canal project despite the resistance. They believe that it was a plot to turn the Indus River into another Hakra River.
The GTC, which originates from Chashma reservoir and being constructed on River Indus below Jinnah Barrage, will be operational during April-September period, in Kharif season, with a maximum discharge of 59,000 cusecs.
The PC-1 of the GTC project, costing about Rs30.467 billion, indicates the project area within the boundaries of Bhakkar, Leiyah, Khushab and Jhang districts of Punjab.
Originally, the project was approved in August 1984 but could not take off in the stipulated period of eight years due to strong reservations expressed by the leaders and people of Sindh. They suggested that instead of Thal canal, small dams and canals be constructed in the province for the storage of flood water, the aim of the project.
Sindh has been facing a shortage of water since 1962 when the government handed over its three eastern rivers, making 72 per cent its overall water share, to India.
According to insiders, the GTC was designed by the planning and development division of the government of Pakistan.
The project, it has been gathered, includes construction of 246 miles of the main and branch canals, 1,230 miles of distributaries and minors, 1,475 miles of irrigation channels, 152 head and cross-regulators, 29 structures with road-crossings, 28,391 bridges on roads and 2,741 outlet structures with land acquisition of 79,962 acres.
The Sindh government had communicated its views on the project’s PC-1 to the secretary, Cabinet Division, on Feb 26, 2002. Official reports show that the Sindh’s representative in the Indus River System Authority (Irsa), Noor Muhammad Baloch, had submitted his note of dissent on the certification of the canal by the Irsa. He had cited the reason that the water shown in para-2 of accord I-E 114.35 MAF was not available as such the discharge purpose for Thal canal, 1.873 MAF from Punjab share and 0.624 MAF from flood water, would not be available.
Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh, chief of the Sindh Democratic Alliance, who is also a provincial minister, has said that there was a deep sense of deprivation in the people of Sindh. He observed that they had been expressing resentment over the allocation from the federal budget for the Thal canal project.
Urging the federal government to take notice of the continuing protests against the GTC, the minister has advised the chief minister to constitute a representative committee for talks with Punjab authorities on this sensitive issue.