HYDERABAD, June 19: The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) here on Wednesday announced the launching of a grand operation against various provincial government departments for the recovery of its outstanding dues.

The Wasa has issued notices to departments to deposit their outstanding dues latest by June 25, failing which their water supply will be disconnected without any further notice.

These departments include the Medical Superintendent, Liaquat Medical Hospital, Hyderabad (Rs9.138 million); Medical Superintendent, Paretabad Hospital (Rs0.27 million); Medical Superintendent, C&J Hospital, Hyderabad (Rs7.847 million); Principal, Zubaida College, Hyderabad (Rs3.567 million); Principal, Boys College, Kali Mori, Hyderabad (Rs0.318 million); Principal, Technical College, Hyderabad (Rs7.301 million); Principal, Comprehensive School No10 (Rs9.138 million); Superintendent Police, Police Headquarters, Hyderabad (Rs7.807 million); Superintendent Central Prison, Hyderabad (Rs17.358 million); Deputy Director, Culture, Tourism and Sports (Rs6.263 million); Administrator, District Council, Hyderabad (Rs0.663 million); Executive Engineer, Public Health Engineering (Rs4.217 million); Principal, Public School, Hyderabad (Rs1.697 million); Secretary, Gymkhana Hyderabad (Rs0.643 million); and Administrator, Mitha Ram Hostel (Rs0.111 million).

JSQM: The Jeay Sindh Quami Mahaz (JSQM) on Wednesday announced that it would launch the second phase of the protest movement against the construction of the greater Thal canal and theft of Indus water by Punjab with effect from July 7 by staging a sit-in at the Shaikh Zaid Chowk in Larkana.

In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, the acting chairman of the JSQM, Shafi M. Karnani, its general secretary Shabbir Jamali, its deputy general secretary, M. Rahimoon and other leaders said that the imperialist Punjab had not stopped the construction of the greater Thal canal and the theft of the Indus water.

They said that on July 7, JSQM workers would block the Indus Highway and stop all transport proceedings to Punjab.

To finalize the arrangements, a meeting of the district council of the JSQM has been convened at Larkana on June 20.

The JSQM leaders have appealed to the Sindhi nation to join the struggle.

STPP: The chairman, Sindh Tarraqi Passand Party (STPP), Dr Qadir Magsi, who is also the president of Ponam (Sindh chapter), has warned that if the construction of the Kalabagh Dam, the greater Thal canal, and other water projects were not rejected by the inter-provincial conference, which is scheduled to be held soon, the STPP, Ponam, and the people of Sindh would launch a resistance movement.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, he said that these projects had already been rejected by the elected assemblies of three provinces, therefore there was no earthly reason to stage the farce of conferences for developing a consensus.

He wondered why Punjab was not giving up these projects in the larger interest of the country and the nation.

Mr Magsi said that if Punjab was not prepared to accept the decision of the elected assemblies of other provinces and the people at large, then why should the other provinces accept the decision of a few bureaucrats.