Fisherwomen rise against river project

Demand justice and water rights on International Women's Day

KARACHI:

Hundreds of women from different parts of the city gathered in Ibrahim Hyderi, demanding that the government immediately cancel the six-canal project on the Indus River. They stressed that this was not just about cultivating agricultural land but a matter of life and death.

On the occasion of International Women's Day, the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) organised a cycling rally near the sea to raise awareness about women's empowerment. Dozens of young girls participated, carrying placards and banners. The women chanted slogans against the ongoing water shortage in the coastal belt of Sindh, stating that they were the most affected by the crisis. They warned that the situation would become even more dire if the government did not withdraw its decision to construct new canals on the Indus River.

"Let it flow naturally!" the protesters chanted, asserting that a nation could only survive and progress if its women were given their due rights.

Addressing the crowd, PFF Chairman Mehran Ali Shah said, "Water is everything for us. The Indus River is everything for us. As fishermen, we cannot survive without water." He called on the government to release Sindh's rightful share of water, as stipulated in the 1991 Water Accord.

He also highlighted the dire situation in Sindh, particularly in coastal areas, where thousands of people were being forced to leave their ancestral villages due to severe water shortages. "Our people are at risk. Our culture is at risk," he warned. Shah further stated that past dam projects had already economically crippled Sindh, and the new canal scheme would only worsen the crisis.