Closure of canals in Punjab demanded
Besides the oiling and greasing of the gates, flooring and filter blocks of Sukkur Barrage and its canals will also be examined to repair them if needed during the annual maintenance. PHOTO: FILE
Decrying the prevailing water shortage in Sindh which has hit the agriculture sector besides creating drinking water issues, Sindhi nationalist leaders have demanded closure of Taunsa-Panjnad and Chashma-Jhelum link canals of Punjab.
"Taunsa-Panjnad and Chashma-Jhelum are the robber canals," said Qomi Awami Tehreek President Ayaz Latif Palijo on Sunday.
He went on to blame the federal government and Indus river system authority (IRSA) for planning to turn Sindh, which is the lower riparian of the Indus river, into a barren land. According to the Sindh government, the shortfall in the province has increased to 50% in May from 42% in the month of April.
He argued that Sindh is continuously being subjected to cruel treatment when it came to receiving its rightful share of water. "All the federal governments always taken anti Sindh decisions and rob the province's water." He recalled that the proposals for the projects like Kalabagh dam and Thal Canal are floated time and again knowing full well that these projects are harmful for Sindh.
He said although the mainstream parties including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Peoples Party are locked in a power struggle, none of them is truly bothered by the issues affecting the public. He added that the problems like unemployment, poverty, inflation, corruption and bad governance remained as the governments changed.
Palijo said drought like conditions have erupted in several parts of Sindh and the circumstances will cause further poverty and unemployment. Meanwhile, Sindh Taraqi Pasand party has given the call for a province-wide protest on May 13.
The STP's chairman Dr Qadir Magsi deplored that on one hand the province is not being given its due share of water and on the other hand the scarce supply in the province is being stolen by influential persons. "Life in the downstream of Kotri barrage has particularly been paralyzed."
He criticized Pakistan Peoples Party for failing to secure water rights of Sindh even though the party has been in the power for last 14 years. "The PPP is a party of feudal lords. The problems of the ordinary people don't bother its leadership."
Separately, Sindh United Party's leader Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah accused the ruling coalition in the center and the PPP's Sindh government for the prevalent water woes in the province. He said no change has been seen in the center's approach towards Sindh when it came to providing the province's its lawful share of water.
Protests have erupted across the province over the water shortage. On Sunday national highway was blocked in Thatta and Matiari districts.
The local farmers are also blaming the provincial government for not ensuring equitable distribution of water as the tail end areas often suffer from the stealing of their share by the farmers in the upper reaches of the irrigation network.
The rangers is being deployed in many districts on request of the irrigation authorities to stop the water theft.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 9th, 2022.