1 week Ago By KAMRAN KHAMISO KHOWAJA
THATTA - Thousands of growers hailing from the coastal areas of Thatta district gathered in Mirpur Sakro town on Friday to voice their strong opposition to the severe scarcity of irrigation water and the proposed six-canal scheme. The demonstrators demanded the immediate cancellation of the project, warning of its detrimental impact on the Indus River and the agricultural heartland of Sindh, particularly the Larr region. The protest saw a unified front of growers’ organizations, citizen groups, and human rights advocates who collectively condemned the Federal Government and the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) for putting forward the contentious six-canals plan.
Addressing the assembled crowd, social activist Advocate Ayaz Lashari passionately argued that the Indus River was rapidly dying before the eyes of Sindh’s people due to the misguided policies of the Federal government, which he accused of aiming to turn Sindh into a barren wasteland. Lashari further highlighted the Federal government’s alleged intention to irrigate Cholistan. Adding a grim perspective from the coastal belt, Chairman of the Amir Al Baher Society, Ali Meer Malah, painted a stark picture of over 100 villages across the coastal districts of Thatta, Sujawal, and Badin facing a severe lack of potable water.
He further cautioned that the groundwater, the sole source for the coastal population, had become saline and posed a significant threat to public health. Qurban Shah, a leader from the Growers Association, lamented the deteriorating agricultural conditions in Thatta and Sujawal districts, attributing it to the persistent and prolonged shortage of irrigation water. He pointed out the widespread withering of standing crops as a direct consequence of the ongoing crisis.
Councillor Mnasoor Qadir Lashari emphasized the critical importance of the Indus River for the survival of the people of Sindh, asserting that the Federal Government appeared oblivious to the unfolding emergency in the province. Speaking on the principles of constitutional equality, Lashari stated that in a federal system, all provinces possess equal rights, and the well-being of one province should not be jeopardized for the benefit of another. Ghulam Nabi Katiyar, a head of a local government, asserted that the resistance movement against the controversial scheme was gaining momentum daily across Sindh, urging the federal government to seriously consider the concerns of the province’s inhabitants.
He implored the Federal government to heed the reservations expressed by the people of Sindh..
