SANA blames Punjab for '150-year water injustice'

Warns of severe water shortage due to glacier melting

HYDERABAD:

The Sindhi Association of North America (SANA) has blamed Punjab for doing injustice to Sindh over sharing of Indus river's water for the last 150 years.

At a press conference at Hyderabad press club on Thursday, SANA's general secretary Asad Ali Shaikh demanded that urgent measures should be taken to provide Sindh its due share of water.

He also pleaded the case for releasing sufficient quantity of the river water in the downstream Kotri barrage to rehabilitate the dying delta and to check the sea intrusion eating precious lands in the coastal districts. "The history bears testimony that Sindh has been subjected to injustice over water for 150 years."

Shaikh went on to assert that the story of other resources of Sindh is also no different from water. "Sindh's condition has worsened after the 1991 Water Accord and every year IRSA [Indus River System Authority] fails to implement even that accord."

He contended that the facts and figures with regard to the Cholistan canal being presented by Punjab are not only fallacious but will end up putting further strain on Sindh's water share. Shaikh said the rapid melting of glaciers will entail severe water shortage after a spell of recurrent floods.

SANA's leader bemoaned that Sindh is already dealing with the water scarcity but the government is creating further problems for the province by opening the doors for corporate farming.