Sindh’s Fight against Water Injustice and Corporate Exploitation
In Sindh, the controversial project is perceived as a significant threat to the province’s collective future, imperiling food security, agricultural prosperity, and social cohesion
Nazeer Ahmed Arijo
John F Kennedy said, “Anyone who can solve the problems of water will be worthy of two Nobel Prizes—one for peace and one for science.”
The people of Sindh have spoken, and they have spoken loudly against new canals to be extracted from the Indus, citing concerns about water scarcity, environmental degradation, and the potential to exacerbate existing water inequalities between provinces.
The ongoing anti-canal movement is an across-the-board movement, transcending political parties and civil society, swelling beyond the imagination of those in power corridors. There is a political diversity that lubricates the engine of the movement against the disputed project of irrigating the Cholistan Desert and subsequent corporate farming while building new canals on the Indus River, which are part of the Green Pakistan Initiative (GPI). The disputed canals have sparked political protests, long marches, student rallies, and public demonstrations under the banners of “Save Sindh,” “Save the Indus River,” and “No more canals on the Indus River,” among others. Surprisingly, the project, called corporate farming and the subsequent construction of canals on the Indus River, was under wraps until the then-interim government gave the green light for it. Every project projected by powerful players is shrouded in mystery. However, the speed and haste with which this Cholistan irrigation project was initiated—without taking all stakeholders on board—and recently inaugurated has further fueled controversy.
It has been a bone of contention between Sindh, Punjab, and the federal governments ever since the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) gave its nod on 17 January 2024, for the issuance of a water availability certificate for the controversial project. The then-caretaker Chief Minister Maqbool Baqar questioned it in January 2024, conveying Sindh’s concerns to then-caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar. Incumbent Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah also questioned the document in 2024, as IRSA lacks the mandate to issue it in the absence of allocation in the 1991 Water Accord. Noam Chomsky said, “Injustice is most dangerous when it wears the mask of law.” Recently, Sindh’s Chief Minister, Murad Ali Shah, accompanied by Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, minced no words in stating that despite reports of the Cholistan Canal’s approval, there was no water available in the system to support new canals. Despite being challenged by the Murad Ali Shah-led government, the issue remains pending in the Council of Common Interests (CCI). In a country where written accords are not implemented in letter and spirit, constitutional commitments are flouted by those very individuals and institutions entrusted with ensuring their implementation, judicial overreach is often accompanied by executive interference, and IRSA acts unwisely, the victims are left with no option but to protest against injustice.
Consequences of corporate farming and climate change
The logical question that arises is: when river water is not proportionate to the existing agricultural needs—i.e., cultivable lands in the country—why is this project being executed and touted as a game-changer? Remember, corporate farming forces smaller, family-owned farms out of business, leading to a decline in rural communities and local economies. Besides, the concentration of corporate power in agriculture leads to higher prices for consumers—not to mention reduced transparency in the marketplace. It will further push the already exploited farming community into the cruel capitalist system, as corporate farming products reach the market before ordinary farmers can bring theirs. The coercive methods applied will ensure undisturbed water flow for international and national investors associated with corporate enterprises, along with road connectivity for commercial activity, leaving ordinary growers to fend for themselves.
Moreover, Pakistan is bearing the brunt of climate change. Sindh is no exception; it is rather at the receiving end. Climate change experts have rung alarm bells, declaring that by 2050, agricultural output will be reduced by 50 percent due to the impact of climate change on agriculture. Water resources are dwindling in Pakistan, as glaciers are melting faster than imagined. If this trend continues, droughts will become more frequent, ushering in multiple crises, including reduced agricultural production. Famine will afflict the population. And remember, the primary victims of corporate commercial projects are indigenous people and ordinary landowners, especially in Pakistan. We witnessed the indigenous population being deprived of their land during the construction of the sprawling Bahria Town Karachi housing project. Small farmers, who were victims of the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) project, repeatedly complained of being deprived of their agricultural land. Now, Sindhis are protesting against the deprivation of their water rights.
The roots of the rage
In a write-up titled “Why the Sindhis Are Protesting in Pakistan,” Osama Ahmed sheds light on the protests in Sindh, sparked by the planned construction of six canals on the Indus River. Sindh, a lower riparian province, faces a 40-45% annual water shortage due to unfair distribution. The province utilized only 3.560 million acre-feet of water against an allocated 4.645 million acre-feet, representing a 23% shortage. The construction of six canals would worsen the situation. Historically, Sindh owned 75% of the Indus River waters until 1975, but its ownership was reduced to 40% in 1991. Punjab province has been blamed for causing water shortages in Sindh. Data from the Indus River System Authority revealed a significant disparity, with Sindh experiencing a 40% water shortage between 1999 and 2023, while Punjab faced only a 15% shortage.
The proposed canals could devastate Sindh’s agrarian economy, leaving its rural population more impoverished. Currently, 18 million acres of agricultural land in Sindh are not being farmed due to insufficient water supply. The canal project is expected to damage 12 million acres of agricultural land in Sindh to irrigate just 1.2 million acres of desert in South Punjab. According to Socrates, “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” Ironically, corporate farming appears to be the brainchild of those who seem oblivious to the ecological and demographic consequences of the project in question.
Sharif brothers tend to support disputed water projects
Irrigating virgin deserts while depriving indigenous people is an undemocratic exercise. Feeling the heat of corporate farming in Cholistan, over 100 residents of Chak No. 176/DB—a remote settlement in Cholistan—who were being forced to hand over their land to make way for a state-sponsored project, knocked on the door of the Lahore High Court. The Court was informed by Punjab government officials that the provincial cabinet had initiated a fresh review of the land transfer agreements and subsequent notification. On the heels of this reviewing assurance, the honorable court disposed of a petition, observing that “the caretaker government had exceeded its mandate.” In Punjab, farmers’ organizations, political parties, and civil society members are raising their voices against what they call the government’s move to displace peasants in the name of corporate farming. Reportedly, thousands of farming families in several districts of Punjab are being displaced from their lands.
The million-dollar question about the disputed canals is: why are deserts being irrigated while fertile lands are left untended? The science behind this phenomenon is quite incomprehensible. The issue in question was challenged by Sindh in the Council of Common Interests (CCI). Despite the issue pending there, the speed and haste with which the controversial project is being executed demonstrate an arrogant approach, which is detrimental to federal unity. While available water is not proportionate to the existing agricultural needs, where will the water for six canals come from? The federal government’s reluctance to call a CCI meeting raises suspicions. The verbal assurances by federal ministers, such as Ahsan Iqbal and Azam Nazeer Tarar, that not a single drop of water will be diverted from Sindh’s allocated share are merely eyewash.
PML-N has historically supported controversial water projects. Earlier, PM Shahbaz Sharif’s predecessor, then-PM Nawaz Sharif, is on record as saying that the construction of the Kalabagh Dam will bring a new era of development by ushering in a green revolution in the country. Sindh stood firm like a rock and opposed the Kalabagh Dam. The Shahbaz Sharif-led government has repeated the same logic behind watering the Cholistan Desert. The same tide is high in Sindh, where ongoing public protests are gaining momentum and have morphed into a movement reminiscent of the widespread discontent against the Kalabagh Dam. Many believe that the anti-canal movement is bigger and more spontaneous than the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD).
Alvin Toffler said, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” If the project is so transparent in every context, then why is the CCI meeting not being convened to discuss Sindh’s case? The problem with the PML-N is that it can’t see beyond its feet and political constituency.
Sindh’s cry for water justice getting support
Pakistani nuclear physicist Pervez Hoodbhoy, well-known author and travel writer Salman Rashid, barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, and PTI bigwigs, after having questioned the logic behind irrigating lands owned by the powerful and a small group, not only endorsed Sindh’s concerns about being turned into a desert but also put their political and intellectual weight behind Sindh’s cry for water justice.
Meanwhile, senior journalist and former secretary of the Karachi Press Club, Aamir Latif, believes that the ongoing protests against disputed canals are in line with international law, which safeguards the rights of tail-end users. The Indus River’s dried-up riverbed and reduced water flow have devastating effects on agriculture and the ecosystem. International law safeguards the rights of downstream dwellers, and Sindh deserves its due share of water. Aamir stresses that better water management, rather than constructing canals, is the solution to the simmering tension in the country. He also debunks the myth that water is wasted when it flows into the sea, highlighting its importance in preventing sea erosion that has already consumed hundreds of thousands of acres of agricultural land in southern Sindh. As one of the country’s food baskets, Sindh’s declining agricultural activity cannot be afforded.
According to The Third Pole report, last year, around 1.2 million people from the delta had already migrated to Karachi. For years, the disadvantaged communities living in the delta have been largely ignored. Regarding the devastating consequences of Indus Delta degradation, Sindhi water resources expert Abdullah Jat is of the opinion that dams and barrages built on the Indus River have already had a significant impact downstream of Kotri. He sounded an alarm bell, declaring that the degrading delta is not only harmful to Sindh and Pakistan but also to the entire region, as it will alter weather and rain patterns, unleashing unimaginable troubles.
Sindh as a breadbasket
Drought is one of the main drivers of food insecurity. Sindh dominates Pakistan’s production of onions, bananas, rice, and chilies. According to Gallup Pakistan’s 2022-23 data:
Onion production accounts for 35.3% of the national total.
Bananas make up 96.8% of the national total.
Rice contributes 30% of Pakistan’s total rice output, primarily non-basmati rice.
Sindh’s Umerkot district, particularly Kunri, is a major hub for red chili production in Asia.
These crops are crucial for food security, employment, and the provincial economy but face challenges like water scarcity and frequent droughts. Water shortage in Sindh has reportedly hit the 50% mark since Tarbela and Mangla have reached dead levels, threatening Kharif crops in the province.
The looming disaster of canal-induced water scarcity will significantly impact the cultural fabric of Sindh, a province heavily reliant on the Indus River. The region’s rich cultural heritage, which revolves around the river and agricultural practices, will face unprecedented threats such as loss of traditional livelihoods, erosion of cultural practices and heritage, migration and social unrest, and food security and health implications, leading to malnutrition and related health issues. This could have long-term consequences for the health and well-being of Sindhis.
A wake-up call to the Shehbaz Sharif-led government
Usually, mainstream media channels and national newspapers turn a blind eye to the real issues faced by Sindh. Now, mainstream media channels and newspapers, accompanied by social media platforms, have highlighted the realities behind the façade of the much-hyped corporate farming. A Business Recorder report titled Chasing Deserts, Dodging Reform, highlighting structural issues, mentions that:
“The rationale for the Cholistan Project, while presented as forward-looking and innovative, is ultimately rooted in avoidance. Pakistan’s agriculture sector is among the most water-inefficient in the world, due to factors such as antiquated canal systems, unchecked groundwater extraction, poorly maintained irrigation infrastructure, lack of modern on-farm practices, and absence of any pricing mechanisms that could encourage conservation. Comparative analyses reveal that peer economies achieve similar agricultural outputs with just a fraction of the water usage. The correct response to this crisis would have been difficult but clear: reform the system from within. This means incentivizing millions of farmers to adopt water-efficient practices, dismantling patronage structures that reward inefficiency, overhauling bureaucracies that resist modernization, and maintaining consistent policies across election cycles.”
PPP’s popularity plummeting
To Sindh, the project spells disaster. Whether one likes it or not, the PPP’s political survival depends on its stand against the controversial project in question. Graveyards don’t cast their votes. Sindhis see the canal project as an existential threat to their lives. Albert Einstein said, “If I were to remain silent, I’d be guilty of complicity,” an echo now heard in the streets of Sindh.
While responding to various individuals who directed their guns against PPP leadership for compromised politics on disputed canals, certain PPP leaders issued inflammatory responses. As a result, they are receiving public rebuke. Indeed, it is the PPP leaders who have mishandled the canal issue by issuing contradictory claims about the ongoing Cholistan irrigation project, claiming it didn’t exist or that construction wasn’t in progress at the site. However, media reports revealed ongoing work on the Cholistan Canal, which proved to be the last straw.
What the PPP leaders need to realize is that compromising on the issue of canals is akin to sea intrusion, which will erode the PPP’s electoral prospects in its only stronghold, Sindh. Its image has never been as tarnished as it is today. Faced with public fury and an existential threat to its survival, on March 25, the PPP staged demonstrations and rallies across Sindh against the canals, with PPP leaders describing the project as a threat to the province’s water resources, provincial rights, and agricultural survival.
The PPP’s workers are already disenchanted with the party, following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, due to its pro-status quo stance. The party has ceased to connect with the young population following its failure to translate their economic dreams into reality by ensuring equal opportunities. The time has come for the PPP to recalibrate its political strategy with emerging political realities. The way forward for the PPP is to prioritize proper planning to face this issue with political precision. With a resolution passed against corporate farming in the Sindh Assembly, as an important coalition partner, the PPP should serve a notice to the federal government to deviate from the development of the proposed canals.
The PML-N government is walking on thin ice. Under such circumstances, the federal government will be pushed to a narrow gate.
Sindh’s collective future in jeopardy
Water is life. All other things are mere accessories. Under no circumstances should people be deprived of their basic source of life. Faced with the federal government’s indifference, a new face of resistance has emerged in Sindh. Lawyers’ gatherings at the Karachi Press Club have injected fresh blood into the anti-canal movement. As a result, public demonstrations have spread across the province, from Karachi to Kashmore. With every passing day, the anti-canal movement is gaining momentum. It is being hailed as a ‘Sindh Spring’ by many. Miscalculating public anger will prove to be suicidal for provincial and federal political spectrums, as various political commentators have warned.
In Sindh, the controversial project is perceived as a significant threat to the province’s collective future, imperiling food security, agricultural prosperity, and social cohesion. No one can deny the importance of state-sponsored initiatives like the Green Pakistan Initiative and a subsequent agricultural revolution in Pakistan. However, transparency is one of the guiding principles of democracy. Any national project touted as benefiting the national economy can’t and should not be allowed to victimize the already vulnerable population and regions.
Water is a legal, constitutional, ecological, humanitarian, and agricultural issue. The water issue cannot be swept under the carpet, as the sitting federal government is attempting to do. In Sindh province, human life, health, happiness, agriculture, livestock, prosperity, ecology, and fishing as a source of livelihood are linked to the flow of the Indus River and its downstream Kotri flow into the sea. Neither downplaying the gathering storm against the disputed canals in Sindh nor renaming the Cholistan Canal will help fix the deepening crises.
We are already a polarised country, and an inclusive water policy is needed to weather the storm. The Sindh Assembly passed a unanimous resolution against the planned canals. MPAs termed the Centre’s decision a threat to harmony among provinces. Speaking on the resolution, the Chief Minister warned against any attempt to divert water from the Indus without consent. Pushing Sindh against the wall will have severe repercussions for the federal political landscape.
Furthermore, the people of Sindh have long-standing grievances against institutional heavy-handedness toward the province. What those sitting in Islamabad and Punjab need to realize is that the ongoing struggle against disputed canals is a grassroots-level movement, which can neither be crushed nor silenced with trumped-up charges registered against protesters.
Political wisdom and a scientific approach are needed now
While addressing the joint parliament, President Asif Ali Zardari made it clear that the federal government’s unilateralism was causing strain on the federating units. The 2022 “monsoon on steroids” left Sindh with hardly any land to pump out rainwater. While one is helpless when nature flexes its muscles, human-induced disasters do trigger reactions. Thus, the human-induced disaster called canals in question will leave Sindh without water needed for its dying delta paradise, human needs, and agricultural utility. This will, in turn, unleash social unrest, political instability, and an economic meltdown in the province, which will consequently negatively impact the national economy.
Political wisdom and a scientific approach are needed to solve the problems of water. Time is running out. Given the federal indifference and the Punjab government’s arrogant approaches, the PPP would be under tremendous pressure from the agitated people of Sindh to quit the cobbled-together federal government and join those protesting against canals in Sindh.
In principle, the federal political framework is like a human body; if a certain part aches, the body can’t sleep. Unlocking the potential of corporate farming may be promising, but various studies show that it has brought devastating consequences in parts of the world where corporate farming was prioritized. Cautionary tales shared by the experts should be an eye-opener for those presenting it as a panacea to our economic problems.
Islamabad should not turn a blind eye to Sindh’s pain emanating from canals on the Indus River. What those in power corridors need to know is that wounds left unattended not only tend to become cancerous but also are hard to treat. With the intellectual establishment, including water experts, opposing the canal project, the insistence on its construction through coercive means is quite incomprehensible.
While speaking at a seminar titled “The Water Crises and Six Canals Dispute: Need for Equitable and Effective Solutions,” organized by the Concerned Citizens Alliance (CCA) at the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) House, Karachi, hydrology and water resources experts, rights activists, and environmentalists reportedly rejected new canals, instead suggesting alternative solutions to ensure that Pakistan’s agriculture sector gets modernized without trampling on farmers’ rights and harming the natural flow of the Indus and its ecology.
Dr. Hassan Abbas suggested an alternative solution based on a study conducted by some Pakistani and American experts, which recommended that instead of canals, the riverbank filtration system with “horizontal collector wells” should be used to transport water to Cholistan. That, he said, should be done through pipelines. He said the Sutlej River has a huge quantity of reserve water under its bed, which is enough to irrigate the entire Cholistan. The expert is on record having cited the example of India, which diverted its water to irrigate Rajasthan, an extension of Cholistan, but failed.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Jr. said the issue of six canals is not only an issue of Sindhi nationalism. “It is rather an issue of patriotism, as it is a problem affecting the whole country.” He proposed cooperative farming instead of corporate farming.
After having called the project “a recipe for disaster,” civil rights lawyer Shahab Usto questioned the rationale behind the authorities going out of their way for the approval of the canals and termed it unconstitutional and illegal. Similarly, social activist and environmentalist Afia Salam declared the plan illegal and unconstitutional, saying that it would badly impact the lower riparian regions of Sindh and lead to a water crisis, which is already there in many parts of the province and is forcing people to move to urban settlements. Moreover, she said the canals project would also affect the people of Cholistan, who have now realized the problem and are raising their concerns.
There can be no Green Pakistan without a Green Sindh. Controlling the flow of the Indus, the ‘River of Life’, through upstream water projects smacks of Sindh’s water marginalization. Canals are seen as placing a corporate knee on the throat of the province. Lift this knee—Sindh can’t breathe.
According to John Dewey, “The greatest enemy of progress is the illusion that everything is fine. Complacency kills progress, while awareness and action drive real transformation. True progress begins when we recognize flaws and strive to correct them, rather than pretending they do not exist.”
Read: Grabbing Sindh lands for Corporate Farming!
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The writer is a freelance contributor. He may reached at nazeerarijo@gmail.com. Nazeer tweets at @nazeerarijo
The article, republished as desired by the author, was first published in The Friday Times
