Artists join protests against six canals project

The artists of Sindh have joined the chorus of protests echoing across the length and breadth of Sindh, decrying construction of six new canals on the Indus River despite prevailing inter-provincial water frictions. The Larkana Arts Council on Sunday organised a rally, participated by actors, singers, poets and writers of the city. "Sindh already suffers from acute water shortage for several months each year," said Ghulam Shabbir Samo, a singer. "What kind of justice is this to rob the province of its further share of water." He reiterated that constructing six new canals to be fed by the Indus is tantamount to turning Sindh into a desert. "The people of Sindh will never accept these canals," warned Ayub Lateefi, a writer and poet. He contended that the very existence of Sindhis will be at stake if the canals in question are built and provided water from the Indus. Sajjan Marri, Sohini Naaz, Aijaz Solangi and other participants who expressed their views asserted that they are ready to resist that project till their last breath. They asked the federal government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz to immediately withdraw from the project. A growing movement Meanwhile, the grandson of former Prime Minister and Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP's) founder chairman ZulfiKar Ali Bhutto said in Thatta district that all the heedful people in the province will keep resisting the canals. "The Indus River is a lifeline for the people. The movement against the canals will keep growing," said Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Junior, who leads the PPP's Shaheed Bhutto faction. He regretted that the country's rulers consider Sindh and south Punjab as their colonies akin to the way the British rulers used to treat these lands. He cautioned that the corporate farming will rob the peasants and farmers of their incomes. Meanwhile, Qaumi Awami Tehreek's leader in a statement issued in Hyderabad on Sunday urged the associations of lawyers, writers, teachers, farmers and traders to raise their voices of disapproval against the project. He argued that the canals will not just leave deadly effects on Sindh's people and economy, but the country as a whole will suffer economic, political and social tribulations. "In the name of agricultural revolution, tens of thousands of acre of land in Sindh is being doled out." Palijo warned that the province will never accept plans for its destruction being implemented in the name of progress and development. At a press conference in Hyderabad, Jeay Sindh Mahaz Chairman Riaz Ali Chandio complained that the incidents of enforced disappearance of workers of the nationalist parties has started in reaction to their ongoing protests against the canals. He said JSM believed in peaceful political struggle and there is no reason to legally detain the party's workers. Chandio warned that they will not let the center implement its plan of destroying Sindh by stealing its water. As the protests against canals grow, Sindh has begun to deal with around 50% shortage of water in the river and canals system. The irrigation authorities recorded 21,780 cusecs water in the upstream of the Sukkur barrage while just 7,650 cusecs were being released in the downstream towards Kotri barrage. At Kotri the water level was measures at 5,745 cusecs in the upstream. The designed discharge capacity of the Phuleli canal, one of the four canals springing from Kotri barrage, alone is 14,350 cusecs. The situation is resulting in rapid drying up of water canals, distributaries and watercourses Thatta, Sujawal, Badin and Tando Muhammad Khan districts.

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