Sindh sticks to its objection to Punjab's Greater Thal Canal project

Sindh sticks to its objection to the Greater Thal Canal (GTC) Phase-II project planned by the Punjab government.

Sindh province fears that its share in water would be diverted to Punjab as a part of this project. The objections were raised at a meeting held in the Planning Commission, Islamabad, on December 28 following the December 22 decision by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) to defer a final decision on GTC's phase-II amidst Sindh's concerns, according to the Dawn.

The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) chairman and Sindh's representatives opposed it in the December 28 meeting.

Further, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council has not yet approved the phase-II project, comprising Chaubara and Dhingana branch canals of GTC.

Central Development Working Party in its meeting in October last year had observed that "there were certain interprovincial issues on the opening of canals last [2020] summer due to water shortages.

Water projects upstream can create issues, hence this [GTC phase-II] project should be reviewed by Irsa in the interprovincial context and NOC be obtained with consensus from all provinces, according to Dawn.

Earlier, Sindh always pressed for the implementation of the Water Accord, 1991 and its contention is that Punjab is insisting to execute phase-II of GTC, which has been shared under the accord.

Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro took a stand that the 1991 water agreement was not being implemented.

"There is a severe shortage of water in Sindh. These projects are an attempt to irrigate two million acres of barren land in Punjab," he added.

GTC takes off from Chashma-Jhelum (CJ) link canal, already a controversial channel in terms of its operation during peak Kharif season.

( With inputs from ANI )