Pakistan

Sindh, Punjab continue to exchange barbs

The water war between Sindh and the Punjab continued as lawmakers criticised the opening of the Chashma-Jhelum Link Canal.

Express July 10, 2010

KARACHI: The water war between Sindh and the Punjab continued on Friday as lawmakers criticised the opening of the Chashma-Jhelum Link Canal for Punjab. Meanwhile, the acting chairman of the Indus River System Authority Shafqat Masood defended his decision, saying it was necessary to ensure food security.

Lawmakers in Sindh condemned the move, with PML-Q leader and adviser to Sindh’s chief minister, Imtiaz Shaikh, saying that Irsa’s decision was ‘unilateral’ and ‘detrimental’ to inter-provincial harmony.

Speaking in Hyderabad after attending a party meeting, he said the canal should be closed immediately and a Council of Common Interests (CCI) should be convened to tackle the water distribution issue.

Imtiaz said Sindh was facing a 42 per cent water shortage while Punjab faced shortages of 25 per cent, adding that according to the 1991 Water Accord a shortfall had to be shared equally by all provinces. “The Chief Minister of Sindh has written a letter to the prime minister and we also demand that the PM take urgent notice of the matter,” he said.

In Karachi to lay wreaths on the Quaid-i-Azam and Fatima Jinnah’s monuments, National Assembly Speaker Fehmida Mirza said the move was a ‘conspiracy’ against Pakistan. She said the Irsa acting chairman could not make the decision without consulting the provinces and other members of the body. “I condemn the decision of opening the Chashma-Jhelum link canal and invite the acting chairman of Irsa to visit Sindh and see what an enormous water shortfall the province is facing,” she said.

Also on Friday, strikes and protests were held in various parts of Sindh to agitate against Irsa’s decision. A complete shutter-down strike called by Jeaay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) was observed in Ghotki, Deharki, Ubauro, Mirpur Mathelo and Thatta. In Hyderabad, representatives of growers in Sindh and various nationalist leaders also rejected the reopening of the canal and appealed to the government to take notice of the matter.

Meanwhile, the senior adviser to the Punjab chief minister, Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa, said the opening of the Chashma-Jhelum Link Canal was not in violation of the Irsa Accord of 1991. Also addressing reporters outside the Punjab Assembly, Khosa said the canal could be closed if Sindh makes its demand on legitimate grounds. However, he warned that the entire cotton crop region in South Punjab could be severely affected if the Chashma-Jhelum link canal is closed.

Irsa’s acting chairman took a similar line, saying that the Chashma-Jhelum link canal had to be opened to ensure food security. Masood said water could not be supplied to the greater Thal Canal without opening the Chashma-Jhelum link canal.

The Irsa acting chairman also added that he would resign if asked by the Punjab government. Given the ongoing dispute over water distribution, the prime minister has decided to convene a meeting of irrigation secretaries of all four provinces sometime this week.

The federation’s representative in Irsa, Bashir Dahar, had resigned in protest after Masood, who is also Irsa’s representative from the Punjab, ordered the canal to be reopened.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 10^th, 2010.

COMMENTS (1)

M.AKRAM KHAN NIAZI | 13 years ago | Reply VICTIMIZATION OF RIVER INDUS BY POLITICIANS OF SINDH On one side Sindh is wasting River Indus water in sea but on other side making objection on use of water by other provinces for agriculture (Chasma Jehlum Link Canal) and Kalabagh dams for electricity generation. On one side Sindh is claiming that there is rise of sea level and problem of land erosion and other side also advocating wastage of 10 million Acre feet water in sea to further raise the level of sea and will cause more land erosion. On one side Sindh is saying there is water logging and salinity problem in Thatta and Badin and on other side itself spreading and aggravating these problems with wastage of huge (13 Million Acres feet= 0NE CRORE Thirty Laks Acre Feet Water) Quantity of water for few thousands Acres of land in Thatta and Badin On one side Sindh is claiming that there is rise of sea level due to global warming and other side also advocating generation of electricity from Thar coal which is the most polluted source of energy and main culprit of global warming and will pollute all land, air and water resources of Pakistan including River Indus. On one side Sindh is cultivating Rice crop in desert and there is always increase in agriculture out put in the end of year but on other side always crying that there is shortage of water while infact all rivers of Pakistan including Hub River of Balouchistan goes down towards Sindh and their is contineously increase in flow of water year by year. On one side Sindh always demanding fresh water but itself doing nothing for prevention of pollution and preservation of water. no single treatment plant is there, no desalination plant is there, on the contrary polluting river Indus water with salt mines and sea water and many lakes have been converted into useless lakes due to pollution. On one side Sindh makes claim on whole water of Indus but on other side victimizing this river by polluting with sea water,factories wastage and fertilizer, infact Indus water near Thatta and Badin is so much polluted and poisioned in Sindh that no one can use that for any purpose. On one side Sindh show they love river Indus,but on other side by wasting its water in sea and opposing any development project on River Indus, Province of Sindh is converting to River Indus into a Nullah and making this river useless for People of Pakistan and instead of preventing its wastage and diverting towards Karachi and coast of Makran,Sindh is wasting River Indus in the sea. As sindh,Balouchistan and Pukhtunkhwa are against Kalabagh because as per Sindh logic Thar Coal is better than Kalabagh as Kalabagh will emmit BLACK SMOKE and Thar Coal will emmit fresh air full of Oxygen. And as per Balouchistan Vision GAS and coal extracted from Balouchistan are one of the most clean source of energy and Kalabagh will pollute air and land resouces and people will drown in Kalabagh and no one is dying in the coal caves of Balochistan. And as per Frontier wisdom Royalty of Tarballa is so important that Pakistan can be broken for that but Kalabgh dam is not good looking as it is in Punjab. All provinces want Provincial autonomy but Punjab should open or close its canals , IIRIGATE ITS LAND AND construct Dams as per desire and dictation of other provinces and after asking from other provinces Because it is necessary for unity and prosperity of Pakistan as when there will be no agriculture,no electricity and no water then Pakistan will be more united and more prosperous.

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