THATTA: Qaumi Awami Tehreek’s president Ayaz Latif Palijo has warned that the construction of six ‘strategic’ canals on Indus River will exacerbate Sindh’s water crisis and reduce the province to a desert, and accused Irsa of facilitating the massive water theft through the canals.

Palijo said before gatherings of party workers and supporters in different places where his party’s “Save the River” march made stopovers, from Mirpur Sakro to Makli, on Friday that acute water shortages plaguing Sindh would worsen if the new canals were built.

He accused the provincial government of turning a blind eye to the looming crisis and noted that Wapda chairman had confirmed that Pakistan Peoples Party had approved the construction of the canals.

He slammed the PPP for selling off Sindh’s resources for the sake of power and criticised the federal government, parliament and judiciary for ignoring Sindh’s grievances.

He raised concerns over alarming levels of depletion of Sindh’s natural resources, drinking water, seawater intrusion and looming desertification.

He called out institutions of Irsa, Wapda, CDWP and CCI for their alleged bias against Sindh, demanding that both federal and provincial governments stop the exploitation of the province.

Palijo criticised the Green Pakistan initiative, calling it a conspiracy to displace Sindhis under the guise of development. Corporate farming would lead to large scale land-grabbing and worsen poverty and unemployment, he said.

He warned the construction of new canals would exacerbate Sindh’s perennial water crisis, turn the province into a desert, contaminate groundwater resources and accelerate sea intrusion.

He called upon people to take action before it was too late. “If Sindhis lose the Indus, they will be responsible for their own destruction,” he concluded.

Mumtaz Shaikh, Ashraf Palijo, Yasir Jakhro, Ashfaq Channar and other leaders of the party condemned PPP leadership for approving the six canals projects and said the unconstitutional move was designed to exploit Sindh’s water resources.

The party dismissed the Green Initiative projects as anti-Sindh and a threat to the province’s water security, they said.

They called for distribution of 50 acres each to landless farmers, including men and women, along with free seeds and fertilisers.

They denounced illegal seizure of land in Kohistan and demanded that local farmers, especially women, be granted land ownership.

They condemned forced eviction of indigenous communities from areas around Darawat Dam site and confiscation of their lands.

The party blamed the PPP government for promoting lawlessness, highlighting the rise of kidnapping, tribal conflicts and criminal activities in Sukkur and Larkana divisions.

They demanded eradication of corruption, arrest of corrupt ministers and officials and recovery of looted public funds.

Students protest

Students of the Quaid-i-Awam University of Engineering, Science and Technology, Nawabshah, held a protest demonstration outside the local press club against federal government’s six canals project, our Nawabshah correspondent adds. A number of students led by Salman Keerio, Waqar Jamali and Hanan Abbasi gathered outside the press club, blocked the road and kept raising slogans against the plan.

They said that the federal government must shelve the plan and should not create any new canal to be fed through the Indus water.

They said that people of Sindh would never allow theft of its water.

They asked the rulers to refrain from taking any such step which seemed to have been taken to “prolonging their rule”.

A police contingent led by DSP City proceeded to the venue of the protest and tried to disperse the protesters but in vain.

However, the protesters dispersed peacefully after speeches delivered by their leaders.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2025