HYDERABAD: Sindh Minister for Irrigation Jam Khan Shoro has said that if work on the disputed canals project has already been started without obtaining approval of Central Development Working Party (CDWP) and Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec), then it is illegal.

The minister told journalists after inaugurating the 19th degree show at Shaheed Allah Buksh (SABS) University of Art, Design and Heritages in Jamshoro, on Monday that Pakistan Peoples Party chairman had spoken to federal government about the canals project and opposed it in Ecnec as well.

He said the chairman had said he had objected to the project and PPP had since been agitating over the issue at all relevant forums.

PPP believed no Pakistani would like to irrigate his land at the expense of another’s farmland, he said.

He clarified that any project having estimated cost of Rs10bn could be taken up by a province but a project involving more than Rs10bn cost needed to meet certain procedural benchmarks, including approval by forums like Ecnec.

He said that Punjab government had designed the project but it could not start work on it unless it had been advertised and tendering process had been launched legally.

“The project will require CDWP’s approval first and then Ecnec’s nod. Only then it will be referred to Punjab government to start work on it. However, if the work has already been started there then it is illegal,” he said.

He said that Sindh chief minister and he himself had briefed an all parties’ conference that the CM had written two letters on the subject.

“We are fighting our case in line with the procedure laid down in Constitution. We will fight it in Ecnec, too. The CM apprised the parties we have already moved Council of Common Interests (CCI),” he disclosed.

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He said that Sindh government was agitating issues of Thal and Jalalpur canals in CCI.

“The parties clamouring against the projects today were part of alliance either with PTI or Nawaz Sharif when these projects were approved while PPP was agitating against them at that time,” he said.

He said: “Today, PPP government is opposing the project in CCI. We have adopted a resolution in Sindh Assembly and taken Cholistan canal issue to CCI”.

He said the chief minister had written two letters opposing the canals on the ground that Pakistan did not have enough water flows available.

“When Pakistan doesn’t have sufficient flows a new command area can’t be discussed. I am representing Ecnec on behalf of Sindh where I will oppose it. If a project is disputed in CCI the Ecnec can’t approve it and we had told CDWP that it should not approve it because it is disputed in CCI,” he informed.

He said the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) held two meetings a year for deciding water shares between provinces for summer and winter crops.

As per Irsa’s own figures 20pc to 40pc water shortage was invariably experienced in Sindh over the past 20 to 22 years.

In early kharif, he said, Sindh had to bear with 50pc water shortage.

He said that Sindh faced water shortage to the extent of 50pc in April when rice and cotton sowing was under way.

Water flows were made available only in August and that too due to floods but the flows at that time were of no use for Sindh, he said.

“What is alarming is when we need water we have to face shortage but floodwaters that go downstream Kotri are accounted for as Sindh’s share,” he lamented.

Earlier, the minister said at the inauguration programme that the exhibition displayed students’ creativity, which would help them become entrepreneur.

It was good to see such an excellent work that had been synchronised with crops and history, he said.

He said that after witnessing the art of youth he realised there was no dearth of talent in the province.

The government was overcoming shortage in every sector. Girl students’ artwork was at par with the work produced in any national level institution, he said.

The university’s vice chancellor Prof Dr Arabella Bhutto said the university aimed to promote peace, prosperity and positivity and the artwork reflected sustainable development goals related to peace and tolerance in society.

She said that the university’s beauty lied in its creativity through art, design and architecture whereas, creativity and innovation went hand in hand.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2024