HYDERABAD: Speakers at a conference rejected all water projects including Bhasha dam over Indus river and called for signing a new water accord in the light of 1945 Punjab-Sindh water pact as the current interprovincial distribution of water was injudicious.
They were speaking at a ‘water conference’ held at local press club under the aegis of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Party (JSQP).
The JSQP chairman Nawaz Khan Zaunr said that Indus was under attack from three sides. The river faced construction of link canals and dams over it by Punjab, China was building dam over Indus and Afghanistan was constructing Shatoot dam on Kabul river, which was a tributary of the Indus besides conceiving 12 other water projects, he explained.
Thirdly, he said, Indus was being turned into a ‘dead river’, which had undermined its survival. Indus was a lifeline for Sindh and hence a new water agreement was needed in the light of Punjab-Sindh accord of 1945, he said.
He said that non-release of flows downstream Kotri barrage had destroyed delta. PPP government was leading people in protests instead of taking a clear stance over water issue Irsa and CCI, he said.
Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party chairman Dr Qadir Magsi alleged that besides Punjab, ruling Pakistan Peoples Party government was equally involved in robbery over Sindhs’ water.
He accused PPP of treachery on the issue of Bahria Town, Sindh’s assets and water. If one more dam was built over Indus, Sindh would be destroyed, therefore, no new dam should be built over the river, he cautioned.
He said that Sindh should be provided its due share in water by Punjab to be distributed judiciously in canals. Adequate flows should be released downstream Kotri barrage, otherwise, Sindh would become a wasteland, he said.
He said that if the downstream flows were not ensured then half of the province would be paralyzed. These flows were equally important like flows in upper reaches of the river, he said, adding sea intrusion had stomached large swathes of agricultural land.
He held PPP responsible for 80pc of destruction wrought by water shortage in Sindh and said the remaining 20pc devastation was due to the water accord and Punjab. PPP blamed nationalists for not launching struggle over water issue whenever they raised question of Bahria Town, he said.
He said that nationalists had resisted Thal Canal for nine years during Musharraf regime which wanted to build this canal but when Asif Zardari became president he completed this incomplete channel on a war footing.
JSQM-B leader Dr Niaz Kalani said that PPP government was facilitating sale of Indus to Punjab as it thought it could mint money by selling the river and land of Sindh.
Sindh United Party leader Ameer Azad Panhwar said that PPP was like a child who would cry whether he got something or did not get anything. Judicious distribution of water was not being ensured in Sindh, he said.
Awami Workers Party Sindh president Dr Bukhshal Thallu said that lower Sindh needed to be protected because water flows were not being released there adequately and mangroves were withering. Large tracts of land had been devoured by intruding sea in these areas, he said and called for a unified struggle.
Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2021