Daily Times

Fishermen and fisherwomen from deltaic regions staged a sit-in to protest against the construction of dams on River Indus outside the Sindh Governor House on Thursday.

The deltaic fisher community had begun their foot march from Kharo Chhan town in Thatta district on October 10. They reached the metropolis on Thursday and set a protest camp outside the Governor House. The protestors carried placards and chanted anti-dam slogans.

The long march led by Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) Chairperson Syed Muhammad Ali Shah, demanded that the federal government and Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) cancel the construction of any dam on River Indus. According to the fisher community, rampant construction of dams and barrages on the Indus River had led to sea erosion and intrusion which was destroying coastal cities and districts.

“Sindh is lower riparian and all international as well as national laws prohibit construction of any mega dam on River Indus system. Such projects cannot be initiated without the consent of lower riparian but in Pakistan, controversial dams have been planned without Sindh’s consent,” explained Syed Muhammad Ali Shah.

He said that construction of dams and barrages had diverted Indus River. “Indus delta, which was once considered the world’s fifth largest delta is dying out. Now, sea water is submerging coastal districts of Sindh including Karachi, Thatta, Sujawal and Badin and destroying them,” he added.

“The 1991 Water Accord clearly states that the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) has to release at least 10 million (m) acres feet of water in the downstream of Kotri barrage towards the sea for the survival of the delta, but instead controversial dams are being constructed here,” said the PFF chairman. “This will completely destroy coastal communities of Sindh,” he warned.

He announced that the affected communities would begin a long march from Kotri to Guddu Barrage in January 2019 and hold protests at the Sindh-Punjab border against the construction of dams on River Indus. “It is being said that Sindh is in favour of Bhasha Dam. We want to make it clear that Sindh will not accept any mega dam projects on Indus River,” Shah asserted.

Published in Daily Times, October 26^th 2018.