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Govt urged to implement 1991 water accord
Jeay Sindh Mahaz (Chandio) activists demonstrate outside the Hyderabad press club to protest against the acute shortage of water in Sindh. - APP photo
HYDERABAD: The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture on Sunday demanded that Sindh should get water immediately in accordance with the 1991 water accord as the shortage had dealt a serious blow to crops on thousands of acres.
The chamber, which met here to discuss the situation arising out of an acute shortage of water, demanded that the 1991 accord should be implemented in letter and spirit and water should be released downstream Kotri Barrage.
The meeting pointed out that Dadu Canal and Rice Canal fed by Sukkur Barrage were running dry and if water was not released, the growers would not be able to cultivate rice.
The meeting demanded that the government should immediately announce support price of rice to enable the growers to plan their crop and the sugar mills in lower Sindh should be directed to clear growers’ dues.Mir Imdad Ali Talpur presided over the meeting.
PROTEST: A large number of activists of Jeay Sindh Mahaz (Chandio) held a demonstration outside the press club here on Sunday in protest against acute shortage of water in Sindh and death of two Larkana youths in a fake encounter in Karachi.The party’s chairman Riaz Chandio said that even though Sindh was not satisfied with 1991 water accord the government had failed to implement it.
He said there was hardly any water at Guddu barrage because Sindh’s water was being stolen through link canals. The barrages and canals constructed on the River Indus outside Sindh were illegal, unconstitutional and immoral, he said.
He claimed that Sindh was producing 6,500 megawatts of electricity against its total requirement of 3,300 MW, still people in Sindh were deprived of power.He said that besides water and power all productive and financial resources of the province had been usurped, subjecting Sindhis to live in abject poverty.
Meanwhile, Awami Tehrik chief Rasool Bux Palijo condemned closure of Pat Feeder and Beghari Canal, saying when the growers badly needed water, the canals’ closure was tantamount to their economic murder.
He said in a statement issued on Sunday that due to closure of Guddu barrage, rice nurseries in Shikarpur, Jacobabad and Larkana were withering. He demanded that water should be released into Guddu barrage immediately and Sindh should be given its due share in water.
Our Nawabshah Correspondent adds: A large number of growers took out a rally and held a demonstration outside the press club here on Sunday, demanding that the government implement 1991 water accord to end the controversy.The protesters were led by former MPA of Pakistan People’s Party Syed Ali Ahmed Shah.Mr Shah said that acute shortage of irrigation water in Sindh had dealt a blow to the standing crops over thousands of acres.He said that Irsa had installed faulty meters and the supply of water was much less than the approved quota.He demanded that the government implement 1991 water accord so that people could get their due share of water.
DAWN: Bureau Report :Monday, 29 Jun, 2009
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