Tag Archives: Chashma

Islamabad, Pakistan, Punjab, Sindh

An appeal to Khadim-e-Aala

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BY: MOHAMMAD KHAN SIAL, KARACHI, SINDH

Sindh Irrigation minister Saifullah Dharejo has repeatedly pointed out that Sindh’s share of water is being stolen through uplift pumps installed in the jurisdiction of Punjab for the past many years.

I request Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to take stern action against those who have been stealing Sindh’s share of water as this is creating a serious rift between the two provinces. I also request Irsa to ensure delivery of Sindh’s share of water at Guddu instead of Taunsa/Chashma in Punjab.

Courtesy: Business Recorder

http://www.brecorder.com/articles-a-letters/188:letters/1225503:an-appeal-to-khadim-e-aala/?date=2012-08-09

Current Issues, Islamabad, News, Pakistan, Politics, Punjab, Sindh

Sindh’s missing water in Punjab

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By: MOHAMMAD KHAN SIAL, Karachi, Sindh

Sir: Water released in Punjab meant for Sindh is being frequently and daringly stolen for the last many years. As per press reports, a team comprising of Sindh’s engineers recently visited Punjab to find out the clue of missing water of 37 thousand cusecs from River Indus between Chashma and Taunsa barrages (both in Punjab) but obviously, they returned in disappointment due to the non-cooperative attitude of the Punjab government as usual.

This is not the first time that Sindh’s share of water has been stolen in Punjab’s jurisdiction. In the past, such incidents were echoed in the houses of parliament and Sindh Assembly but in vain. Unfortunately, such practices continued without any check for the last many decades. Meanwhile, Sindh’s irrigation minister, Saifullah Dharejo has recently shown his inability in public to stop incidents of stealing water in Punjab. Nonetheless, Sindh government has claimed that it has brought such incidents into the notice of the Punjab government numerous times without any improvement.

Continue reading Sindh’s missing water in Punjab →

News, Pakistan, Random

Fukushima lessons for Pakistan

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by A.H . Nayyer

Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP) is now forty years old. It is rated among the worst functioning reactors of the world. Situated on the Arabian Sea, it was originally far away from populated areas of Karachi, but now many residential schemes have moved close to it. The reactors at Chashma are relatively new. The site is on the bank of River Indus, situated between Indus and Chashma-Jehlum Link Canal. The reactor site is known to be on top of a series of tectonic plates …

Read more : View Point

News, Pakistan, Politics, Sindh

AT activists protest against reopening of C-J canal

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HYDERABAD, July 21: Activists of the Awami Tehreek staged a sit-in for six hours on the National Highway at Hatri bypass here on Wednesday in protest against reopening of the Chashma-Jhelum link canal, release of water into Greater Thal canal, proposed construction of Bhasha-Diamar dam and tribal. A large number of men, women and children, raised slogans against what they called a theft of Indus water.

Speaking on the occasion, chief of the Awami Tahreek Rasool Bux Palijo said that Sindh was the creator of Pakistan but it was being pushed against the wall. He said Sindh was passing through the worst phase of its history and alleged that the government wanted to destroy the province.

The government was following an international conspiracy against the country, Mr Palijo said and added that rulers had always acted against the interests of the country under the dictates of foreign powers. He expressed solidarity with all the oppressed nations of the world. …

Read more >> DAWN

News, Pakistan, Politics, Sindh

Awami Tahreek blocks National Highway at Moro against Chashma Canal, Greater Thal Canal, Kalabagh & Bhasha dam

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Sindh Jage Paeee.

Awami Tahreek blocks National Highway at Moro against Chashma Canal, Greater Thal Canal, Kalabagh & Bhasha. Ayaz Latif Palijo demands resignation of CM Sindh and All ministers of Sindh. All traffic to Punjab and Peshawar blocked at Moro. Thousands of Sindhiani Tahreek, SHT and SST workers protesting under scorching sun. Many children and women became unconscious. Sallam to Sindhianis and Awami Tahreek. Sindh enters into a new phase of struggle under the umbrella of Awami Tahreek. Tomorrow highways will be blocked at Babarloo and day after tomorrow on 21st all highways shall be blocked at Hyderabad. Live Coverage by Sindh TV, KTN, Awaz, Geo and ARY Tv.

July 19, 2010

Pakistan, Punjab, Sindh

Balochs Support Sindhi People’s Legitimate Struggle for Their Waters

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Baloch Human Rights Council (UK) Supports Sindhi People’s Legitimate Struggle for Their Waters

London: Baloch Human Rights Council UK (BHRC-UK) in a press release issued today condemned the acting Chairman of Indus River System Authority’s (IRSA) for the unilateral and illegal decision to open Chashma-Jehlum link canal.

BHRC-UK noted that while in Sindh people do not have water to drink forget about agriculture, this is a criminal act which shows their continued disregard and arrogance towards the rights of other nations.

BHRC-UK recognises the historical rights of Sindhis on their natural resources including waters and notes with great concern the arrogant disregard of the unanimous decisions of Sindh, Balochistan and Paktunkhuwa assemblies, thousands of rallies, strikes and hunger strikes in Sindh and demands of the civil society organisations.

BHRC demands that the Chashma-Jehlum Link Canal should be immediately closed and reiterated that Baloch people are together with their sindhi brothers in their legitimate struggle for their historical rights on waters of river Indus.

London – 15 july 2010

Pakistan

Pakistan : Punjab ’s highhandedness on Sindh’s water

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London, UK, (PR) : World Sindhi Congress (WSC) strongly condemns the highhandedness of Punjab govt with regards to water of river Indus. Despite, calls from three provincial assemblies, the members of water body IRSA, political and civil society organisations, thousands of demonstrations, strikes, hunger strikes of people of Sindh, the upper riparian jingoists are determined to overrun the overwhelming case of Sindh over waters of river Indus. The case of Sindh over water has been proven again and again on the basis of international law, historical rights and the water treatise, still Punjab govt is adamant to carry out its illegal domination and use of waters of river Indus. The current crisis has resulted from allowing illegally water to flow in Chashma-Jehlam Link Canal and Thal canal for irrigation, while people of Sindh do not have water to drink. Punjab has stored water in Mangla Dam for autumn cultivation while Sindh’s fertile lands are fast becoming a lifeless desert. The man-made water crisis is threatening the extinction of a civilisation that flourished for thousands of years. The current arrogant chauvinism of Punjab govt has taken the conflict and crisis to a new height. The entire Sindh is burning.

WSC humbly requests all the political parties of Sindh, NGOs, and civil society organisations to take a united stand, leaving all differences behind, on this issue of bare survival.

WSC to take the case of people of Sindh for their survival against the criminal onslaught of upper riparian province on their rightful waters to all relevant international venues including United Nations, UNPFII (United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues) and Environmental and Water NGOs. WSC is also seriously exploring all the possibilities to take this case to the International Court of Justice in Hague, The Netherland.

July 11, 2010

Pakistan, Punjab, Sindh

Punjab – Sindh : Troubled waters

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Editorial : Troubled waters

With both the Punjab and Sindh holding firm on their stance over the controversial opening of the Chashma-Jhelum link canal, which has led the member of the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) from Sindh and the federation to ready their resignations, the prime minister has been forced to intervene. He will be attempting to pour oil over the churning waters. But even as he does so, there seems to be a realisation that the structure of Irsa may need to be altered to prevent the periodic tidal waves that erupt and threaten to cause a great deal of damage.The orders issued by the member from the Punjab, who is also acting chairman of the authority, would serve the interests of his province but damage those of Sindh by reducing flow down the Indus. To rub salt into wounds, the Punjab has now sought additional water through the canal. There is quite evidently an element of selfishness in the way water is demanded by each province, heedless of the needs of others. The battles between the Punjab and Sindh represent nothing new. But if we look at the matter realistically and dispassionately, it seems almost inevitable that this will happen. The Punjab, as the majority province, has not been known for its sensitivity to the concerns of others. And hence the current acrimony on this issue, with the smaller provinces clearly feeling discriminated against.

Read more >>- The Express Tribune

Pakistan, Politics, Sindh

CHASHMA, MAIN CAUSE OF INDUS ARIDNESS

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By Dr Ali AKbar Dhakan

In 1989, I visited Chashma Canal about 40 kms away from D.I Khan in NWFP towards north and 25 kms from Mianwali towards west in the punjab province… At the distance of one furlong from the gates upstream, I wondered to see that the water touched the tops of the gates and it looked as if the gates were about to break as all the gates were closed and no drop of water was flowing downstream of the gates looked dry and arid.So at that time I felt that the whole water of the canal was used as the reservoir at the upper side of the project in the Punjab and the Indus river remained arid and dry not during only the off season or winter but also during the season of summer or abkalani period. It is because of closure of all gates downstream, the shortage of water occur in the Indus River making the Sindh land barren and arid even during the summer season when the water in greater quantity flows due to melting of snow in all the mountainous areas of Pakistan.The chashma Barrage wet land site located Indus monsoon Forest comprises of a large barrage, a water storage reservoir and a series of embankments, serving as flood bounds which divides the reservoir into five shallow lakes at low water level Chashma Hydro power project is located on the right abutment of Chashma barrage on the Indus River near the village Chashma in the Mianwali district about 304 Kms northwest of Lahore. The project was estimated at Rs.18 billion including foreign exchange component of more than Rs.9 billion.Not only the constructing left Bank project, the water became very much scant in the downstream Indus river but it became more harmful for the Sindh when the Chashma right bank irrigation project was started in 1970 with a feasibility study by WAPDA to irrigate 14174 hectare in D.I Khan(NWFP) and 7075 hectare in D.I Khan Punjab.The actual construction of the canal was started in 1978 and completed in 1987.The other reason of shortage of water in Indus River was the Taunsa Barrage on the river Indus which was completed in 1958 to divert water to two large areas on the left and right banks of the river making irrigated agriculture possible for about 1.18 Mha of this arid landscape in Punjab province. These both projects of Irrigation on Indus river are the main reasons for making the Indus River arid and dry and have turned the Sindh Land barren and uncultivated since 2-3 decades.It is why the whole bed of the Indus River has been heaps of sand and created problems of cultivating and producing various seasonal crops in whole Sindh.Not only these two projects have been proved harmful for Sindh but the Indus basin Treaty with India in 1960 by the first Dictator regime of Pakistan under the leadership of Ayub whose Marshalaw caused the breakup of the country after his ruler ship of 10 years.

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History, Pakistan, Punjab, Sindh

Punjab’s guarantees on Kalabagh are only “show-piece”?

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Need for consensus on dams

BY: MOHAMMAD KHAN SIAL, Karachi, Sindh

– DAWN

This is apropos of Khursheed Anwer’s letter “Consensus on dam” (June 18) which states: “Sindh has been guaranteed 2.2maf additional water from the Kalabagh dam, what more consensus do the politicians want?”

It appears that the writer has not been to the depth of the problem. In the “Water Appropriation Accord 1991”, at least a release of 10maf water for downstream Kotri was also guaranteed but was never implemented even after the passing of 20 years. So what is the use of guarantees when they were never implemented in letter and spirit but only worked as “show-pieces”?

The controversial Chashma-Jhelum Link Canal in Punjab was the original Flood Canal, but many times Punjab has released water unilaterally despite a severe deficit of water in Sindh. During the deficit, Punjab has taken its full share of water multiple times by force. This can be seen in the AGN Abbasi Report.

Had the water been released downstream Kotri, sea intrusion would not have inundated 2.4 million acres of valuable land in Sindh. According to the Sindh government, almost 80m acres of land are inundated by sea intrusion. The government of Sindh firmly believes that if the situation remains the same, the historical city of Thatta and also Badin would disappear within 20 years. This is all because the “Water Accord – 1991” which was accepted by Sindh with reservations was not implemented in letter and spirit.

Recently, the NFC Award, announced with consensus, showed that even guarantees given in the Constitution were not sufficient. The same happened when the Thar coal, which was a provincial subject, was taken up by the Centre against the constitution and a notification was also issued but after much hue and cry from Sindh, it was rolled back.

I suggest that those who are sincere supporters of the dam should first demand the following:

1. At least 10maf should be released downstream Kotri as envisaged in “The Water Accord – 1991”.

2. Sindh must be given its due share of water at Guddu.

3. The Flood Canal, i.e. the Chashma–Jhelum Link Canal, must be closed permanently except for the availability of excess water during floods.

4. The controversial Wapda must be dismembered as it had twisted facts and figures to support Punjab. Three out of four provinces are not happy with its performance and the prime minister called it a “white elephant” like Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had once did.

5. All efforts must be made to save the Indus Delta as its ruination is bound to have environmental repercussions on Sindh. Only implementation of the Water Accord–1991 will guarantee this.

6. Punjab must admit the theft it committed on Sindh water and must pay compensation for it.

Sunday, 20 Jun, 2010

Courtesy:- http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/letters-to-the-editor/need-for-consensus-on-dams-060