‘Caretakers plan to divert Sindh water to Punjab’

Diversion of water would lead to approximately 600,000 acres of farmland irrigation

HYDERABAD:

The Sindh President of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, has denounced the alleged plan by the caretaker government to enact an ordinance amending the Indus River System Authority Act of 1992.

Khuhro, speaking from Larkana, stated that the purported aim of the ordinance is to permit the diversion of water from Sindh's allocation to the Cholistan region in Punjab, where approximately 600,000 acres of farmland would be irrigated.

Describing the initiative as an infringement upon Sindh's rights and autonomy, Khuhro demanded the immediate withdrawal of the no objection certificate (NOC) for a link canal to Cholistan by the IRSA. He emphasised that lands in Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Rahimyar Khan, and Cholistan would rely on water from Sindh if the project proceeds, contravening the 1991 Water Accord which prohibits the establishment of link canals.

Khuhro asserted that Sindh is not receiving its due share of water as per the 1991 accord, nor is river water being released downstream of the Kotri barrage to prevent sea intrusion.

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He questioned the source of water for these link canals if Punjab itself is deprived of its water share, highlighting Punjab's reluctance to implement a telemetry system for accurate water measurement.

Referring to Article 155 of the constitution, Khuhro insisted that disputes over water allocation among provinces should be resolved by the Council of Common Interests (CCI) rather than the IRSA. He warned against the caretaker government's attempt to grant the prime minister the authority to appoint the IRSA chairman through the ordinance, labelling it unconstitutional and beyond the interim government's mandate.

Khuhro urged the caretaker government to refrain from forcing the people of Sindh onto the streets, citing their historical opposition to the Kalabagh dam and vowing to resist any attempt to divert Sindh's water through a link canal.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2024.