KARACHI: PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday has criticized the government for unfair apportionment of water in the country saying that the government has shown extreme kind of atrocity by not releasing Sindh’s water even on Eid.
The PPP chairman said the PTI government, who is responsible for creating the water crisis in Sindh would be responsible for the consequences. He was of the view that the water supply to Karachi had extremely reduced due to the stoppage of Sindh water apportionment.
In a statement, Bilawal said the wicked policy of the government was causing water scarcity in Thatta, Badin, Sajawal and Tharparkar. He alleged that Indus River System Authority (IRSA) by misusing its power had reduced Sindh’s water share by 15% to 20%. He reminded IRSA of its job which consisted only to oversee and implement the agreed clauses of the 1991 Water Accord.
He warned the water authority to keep from harming Sindh by employing its own formulated three-tier formula. He asked the IRSA authorities to answer at whose behest they had illegally reduced Sindh’s water share.
He asked Prime Minister Imran Khan to stop making Sindh’s land barren by depriving it of its water share.
Bilawal pleaded to other provinces to follow Sindh’s suit which provided water to Balochistan from Gaddu Barrage despite facing water shortage itself.
He was of the view that all provinces of Pakistan including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan deserved to get water share as per the agreed-upon formula.
Bilawal vowed to raise his voice if any province was deprived of its due share. He alleged that from Chashma Jehlum Link Canal, still 2,000 cusec water from Sindh’s portion was being stolen. He asked IRSA to stop issuing NOCs for the establishment of power plants at Taunsa Panjnad and Chashma Jehlum Link Canals. He demanded to stop the process to set up power plants at these link canals. He said up until February water was unnecessarily released due to delay in the repair of Tarbela Dam and the dame still didn’t fill up.
He questioned government’s thinking behind stopping Sindh’s water during rice planting season. He said Pakistan was already facing shortage in cotton yield and at this juncture stopping Sindh’s water would be suicidal for textile industry.
Meanwhile, according to sources PPP threatened to stage a sit-in under the leadership of Bilawal Bhutto on the Punjab, Sindh border in protest against the alleged stealth of Sindh’s share of water by Punjab.