SANGHAR, April 13: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has said the government will soon undertake work on big irrigation projects in Sindh, including construction of Reni canal and Sehwan barrage.

Speaking at a public meeting at Sanghar Stadium here on Saturday, the president stressed the need for constructing more water reservoirs as the silting had decreased the water storage capacity of both Mangla and Tarbela dams and new sites had to be found to build new water reservoirs for the future needs.

It was the president’s second public meeting in a day in Sindh, marking the start of his campaign for April 30 referendum to seek people’s mandate. Earlier in the morning the president addressed a public meeting at Makli Stadium, Thatta.

The president said that the people must realise the fact that construction of more water reservoirs was the dire need of the country to save the cultivatable land in future.

Speaking about shortage of water being faced by the province, the president assured the people that not a single drop of water from the share of one province would be provided to other. The Indus River System Authority chairman was from Sindh to end the misunderstandings of Sindh.

He said it had often been alleged that Punjab had been stealing water from Sindh’s share at Taunsa and Chashma. To redress this grievance, telemetry system was being installed at both places and engineers from Sindh, Punjab and Wapda would be posted there to monitor water flow.

The president said in view of water shortage in Sindh, more water from Punjab had been provided to Sindh to help it overcome water crisis.

President Musharraf made it clear that his government did not usurp the rights of any province and added that those engaged in biased propaganda on water issue were trying to create disharmony among the people of various provinces of the country.

He also emphasized the need for judicious distribution of water within the province.

About new irrigation projects for the province, the president said that work on the construction of Reni Canal at a cost of Rs10 billion would start soon. The canal would bring under cultivation an area of three lakh acres.

Moreover, work would also be undertaken soon on Sehwan barrage, one of the biggest projects under which six canals would be carved out. An area of 2.5 million acres would be brought under cultivation as a result of this barrage, he added.

The president said the government had also restarted work on the Right Bank Outfall Drain (RBOD) Project at a cost of Rs14 billion to dispose the saline water directly into the sea.

Gen Musharraf said he knew this area as well as Hurs as he was sent here in 1975 when he was a major to control flood. “They always stand side by side with the army and we are proud of them,” he remarked.

The president on the occasion appealed to the people to vote for him in the referendum.

He asked the people to judge the 30-month performance of his government and if they wanted continuity in the reforms he had initiated for the betterment of masses, they should vote for him.

President Musharraf called upon the people not to pay attention to the negative propaganda by vested interests, who wanted to create an atmosphere of disharmony among the provinces.

“The people should decide themselves that who are their well-wishers and who have usurped their rights and plundered the national exchequer,” he added.

Speaking about the foreign policy of his government, the president said the country was on the verge of being declared a terrorist state, however, with his efforts the international community had now realized that we were a peace-loving state.

Gen Musharraf said innocent young men were sent to Afghanistan on a false propaganda that a Jihad was going on there. He said he had met leader of Afghan interim government Hamid Karzai during his visit to Kabul and discussed with him release of Pakistanis who had been languishing in jails after the ouster of the Taliban regime.

The president said he also went to India and highlighted the Kashmir cause in his talks with Indian leaders without any fear.