Farmers, nationalists up in arms

The organisations lobbying for rights of farmers in Sindh have joined forces under the aegis of Anti Canals Action Committee to launch a protest campaign against the plan to construct six new canals on the Indus River.

At a press conference at Hyderabad Press Club, the heads of Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA), Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB) and Sindh Abadgar Ittehad (SAI) outlined their protest strategy, reiterating that the new canals are out of question.

"Water isn't available in the system yet the center wants to irrigate hundreds of thousands of acres of barren lands," observed SCA's head Syed Meeran Muhammad Shah. "This is incomprehensible." He deplored that the water level below the Kotri barrage has been consistently declining, leaving lakes, aquifers and delta dry and destroyed in several districts as a consequence.

Shah, who is a brother of Pakistan Peoples Party's senior leader and former federal minister MNA Syed Navid Qamar, protested that without completing the formalities of the official approvals, construction of Cholistan canal is progressing by leaps and bounds. "The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has approved the canals without considering flaws in the project," he contended.

He pointed out that the centre wanted to irrigate 1.2 million acres of land in Punjab by constructing that 176 kilometers long canal at a whopping cost of Rs240 billion. "Another canal named Jalalpur is being built on Rasool barrage on the pretext that it will be supplied water during flood season."

The SCA's President said they are shocked to notice that the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) has issued certificates of water availability for these canals on the basis of hypothetical estimations.

Shah said it is also worrying that Cholistan canal will be supplied water by cutting shares of other canals in Punjab if water does not achieve flood level in the river.

Shah apprised that a protest campaign will be started by the agrarians in Sindh from November 23, adding that the demonstrations will continue in different parts of Sindh till December 11.

Mahmood Nawaz Shah, head of the SAB, said they also have deep concerns against Thal, Raini, Jalalpur, Kachhi and Upper Chinar canals. Shah, however, pointed out that due to strong opposition against Jalalpur canal, the Asian Development Bank has suspended lending for the project.

He informed that the action committee will approach the financiers of the canals projects to dissuade them from providing funds. He told that the Sindh Government has assured the farmers that it will oppose these projects in the Council of Common Interests (CCI) and on all other relevant forums. He believed that Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) should also unequivocally oppose that plan.

Nationalists protest

The nationalist parties held protests in many parts of Sindh on Sunday to reiterate their rejection of plans to construct six new canals on the Indus. "Sindh is being turned into an arid land. Where are the elected MNAs, MPAs and ministers of Sindh?" questioned Ayaz Latif Palijo, president of Qaumi Awami Tehreek, while addressing a rally in Hyderabad.

He maintained that IRSA, CDWP, CCI and Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) have proved their bias against Sindh by consistently creating, approving and implementing projects to deprive the lower riparian of its due share of water.