THATTA
In a strongly worded constitutional session chaired by District Council Chairman Abdul Hameed Panhwar and Vice Chairman Mumtaz Ali Jalbani, the Thatta District Council unanimously passed a resolution opposing the construction of six controversial canals on the Indus River.
The session, attended by all council members, echoed a unified demand to the federal government for the immediate cancellation of the project.
Council members—including Abdul Khaliq Soomro, Ahmed Palari, Dr. Syed Imtiaz Shah Sherazi, Fatah Muhammad Margho, Hasnain Soomro, Sher Khan Chandio, Mansoor Qadir Lashari, and Akbar Bughio—spoke passionately against the project, warning of its devastating consequences for Sindh.
In his address, Chairman Abdul Hameed Panhwar cautioned that the proposed canals would lead to the complete desolation of Sindh, depriving it of even drinking water.
He highlighted the strong opposition voiced by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and President Asif Ali Zardari, who have both pledged that no controversial canal would be allowed on the Indus River.
Council members held up placards and chanted slogans such as “No to the loot of the Indus” and “Reject the controversial canals,” demanding the project’s immediate halt.
The session also shed light on the alarming environmental impact already being felt. Due to insufficient freshwater discharge below Kotri Barrage, seawater intrusion has destroyed approximately 3.5 million acres of land across Thatta, Sujawal, and Badin districts. With no freshwater reaching the sea, about 95 acres of land are being lost daily to seawater encroachment, accelerating the destruction of the Indus Delta.
This ongoing crisis has forced mass migration from coastal communities, with 52 villages in Thatta already submerged.
Council members warned that the construction of these canals would exacerbate the water crisis between Sukkur and Kotri Barrage, making even drinking water scarce for downstream populations. They emphasized the moral, legal, and religious rights of the people of Sindh to access Indus waters and insisted that no project should be undertaken without their consent.
The session concluded with a unanimous resolution demanding the federal government immediately cancel the proposed canals to address the growing concerns of the people of Sindh and safeguard their rights and livelihoods.
