PPP leaders warn of staging sit-in at Sindh-Punjab border against IRSA
By GR Junejo
Mithi, Tharparkar: On the call of Pakistan People’s Party Sindh, the district chapter of the party took out a rally here on Monday to protest against releasing unjustified reduced share of river water to the province by Indus River System Authority (IRSA).
The protest rally was led by PPP Tharparkar President Engineer Gianchand, Senator Krishna Kumari, Sushil Malani, Veerji Kolhi, Arbab Amanullah, Nand lal Malhi advocate, Kunwar Amar, ladies’ wing leader Kamla Bheel and others.
Gianchand and other leaders said that Sindh has been released 40 percent less water than its due share under the 1991 Water Accord, which is great injustice. “IRSA has conspired to turn Sindh barren by depriving it its due share of water,” they said.
“They use to release water only during the flood season to inundate Sindh,” they alleged.
According to PPP leaders, the Indus Delta has been destroyed because of no discharge of sufficient water to the sea and in result the sea intrusion has increased destroying over 2.2 million acre fertile land of the province. “The mangrove forests too have been damaged due to low discharges of river water while marine life is on the decline and the fishing community has been deprived of livelihood,” the PPP leaders said.
“The water shortage in River Indus is the issue of life and death for the people of Sindh. The province has more right on river water being the lower riparian under the international law, and in case the IRSA continued the conspiracy of depriving Sindh of its water share, the PPP will follow the tradition set by Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and stage sit-in at Kumoon Shaheed, the Sindh-Punjab border,” PPP leaders warned.
Gianchand and others alleged that Niazi government has not only damaged the government but was conspiring to destroy the agriculture of Sindh.
___________________
