CM comes out all guns blazing against new canals project

Cholistan Canal unconstitutional, violation of Sindh's water rights, says Murad

KARACHI:

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has strongly opposed the Cholistan Canal project, deeming it unconstitutional and violation of Sindh's water rights.

He emphasised that such a project cannot proceed without the approval of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) and a consensus among the provinces. He urged PM Shehbaz Sharif to immediately convene a CCI meeting to address the issue.

Murad clarified that the idea of developing Cholistan through irrigation canals is not new. It was first proposed over a century ago during British rule in 1919, but the British government had rejected Punjab's proposal.

Murad revealed that during the caretaker government, the Punjab government revived the scheme and sought a NOC for water allocation from IRSA. Punjab's justification was that 27 million acre-feet (MAF) of water flows to downstream Kotri annually, implying that enough water was available.

The CM cited historical data, stating that from 1976 to 1999, the average downstream flow at Kotri was 35MAF. By 2023, the average had declined to 27MAF. Over the past 25 years, it has dropped further to just 17MAF. "We demand a minimum of 10MAF, yet currently, only 8.5 MAF reaches downstream at Kotri," he said.

Murad questioned the justification for allocating additional water to Punjab, arguing that Sindh's water resources are already under strain.

To a question, Murad dismissed claims that President Asif Ali Zardari had approved the project.

He clarified that while the president may support projects, actual decision-making lies with provincial and federal bodies such as the Indus River System Authority (IRSA), the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), and the Council of Common Interests (CCI).

Murad elaborated on the six canals being discussed under this project, saying that two canals already exist and are part of old irrigation systems. "Two proposed canals in Sindh (Thar and Reni Canals) were discussed but never formally initiated," he said and added that two proposed canals in Punjab, the Cholistan Canal and the Chobara Canal (part of the Greater Thal Canal expansion), are the primary concerns. "No new canals can be constructed without approval from the CCI," he maintained.