14 March anti-dam protests in Sindh

From: Ishaq Tunio

Day of Action against Kalabagh Dam and Thal canal in Pakistan

Friends of Indus River, observe hunger strike, offer prayers and take protest rallies, Demand World Bank and other lending agencies not to give loans to Pakistan mega dams and canals.

Latest: updated by 6:00 am USA Eastern Standard time.

Responding to the call of Friends of the River Indus thousands of people including environmentalists, irrigation experts, human rights activists, supporters of water rights, political parties leaders and activists, elected representatives, students and pro-river and lakes groups including women, children in Karachi, Hyderabad, , Sukkur, Larkana, Badin, Mirpur Khas and other towns of Sindh observed 14the March , as Day of Action against construction of Kalabagh Dam and Thal Canal in Pakistan, offering prayers for long life of Indus River, observed token hunger strikes and took protest rallies. Protesters were chanting slogans NO DAMS and Canals on The Indus River, Water for life , and save Indus save Sindh, save Indus save Environment, and demanded World Bank and other lending agencies not to give loans to Pakistan for construction of mega dams and canals on Indus River. Protesters ask international organizations to help stop the controversial projects in Pakistan putting pressure on Government of Pakistan and World Bank and other lending agencies.

14th March , 2005 Marks the eighth annual International Day of Action for Rivers sponsored by the International Rivers Network (IRN).

Sukkur: Protest rally was taken out from Sukkur Press Club while marching towards Sadh Belo ( a sacred religious place of Hindu religion ) protesters observed token hunger strike near Dhobi Ghaat for one hour and then moved to offer prayers at Sadh Beloo. The event was organized by Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) Sukkur led by Sattar Zangecho JSQM Sukkur Organizer. At the Indus River near Sadh Beloo flowers were dropped in the River Indus and prayers were offered for long life of Indus River.

Larkana: A protest rally was taken out and then token hunger strike was observed. Rally was led by JSQM leader Maqsood Quraishi and Awami Tahreek leaders.

Hyderabad: The exceptional show was staged in Hyderabad in the middle of the downstream of Indus river at Jamshoro where Awami Tahreek and Sindh Water Committee activists headed by 77 years nationalist leader Rasool Bux Palijo staged a sit-in. The Awami Tahreek workers were joined by Muzafar Sadiq Bahtti advocate, Nazeer Memon, Sassui Palijo MPA Sindh Assembly, Wishnoo Mal and other water experts and community leaders. Thereafter the rally moved towards Husainabad where under the leadership of Sayed Qaim Ali Shah, other PPP workers also staged another sit-in near Gudoo Chowk.

At Hyderabad City: Another sit-in was staged at Press Club Hyderabad by Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM ) under the leadership of Abdul Wahid Areesar and Dr Niaz Kalani. The sindhi leadership has appealed the world community to join their united struggle against proposed Kalabagh Mega Dam and canals on Indus.

Badin: Mirpur Khas , Dadu and other towns JSQM workers observed token hunger strike and took out protest rallies and demanded government of Pakistan to stop the Kalabagh Dam and Thal canal project .

Karachi: protest, hunger strike and prayers are going on . Thousands of workers under leadership of JSQM chairman Bashir Khan Quraishi and Asif Qazi Member organizing Committee, Friends of Indus River are observing the day of action for rivers in front of Karachi Press Club.

Another sit-in in front of Karachi Press club is going on under the leadership of Awami Tahreek leader Noor Nabi Rahujo about 100 women and children are participating with Awami Tahreek workers.

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"src" wrote: Anti Dam & Rivers Action Day observed in Sindh... Long March Continues

Musharaf waze kar....Ailaan, Dam Khapey......Ya Pakistan??

Today thousands of workers of Awami Tahreek and other parties observed the International Day of Action for Rivers in Sindh. Supporters of water rights and activists of different political parties including Sindh Waters Committee, Awami Tahreek, Anti Greater Thal Canal & Kalabagh Dam Forum, Sindhiani

Tahreek, Pakistan Peoples Party, Taraqi Pasand PArty, Jeay Sindh observed 14th March as the day of resistance against Kalabagh Dam at Hyderabad, Karachi, Sukkur, Larkana, Badin and other cities in Sindh ( Pakistan.). The exceptional show was staged in Hyderabad in the middle of the downstream of Indus river at Jamshoro where Awami Tahreek and Sindh Water Committee activists headed by 77 years nationalist leader Rasool Bux Palijo staged a sit-in. The Awami Tahreek workers were joined by Muzafar Sadiq Bahtti advocate, Nazeer Memon, Sassui Palijo, Wishnoo Mal and other water experts and community leaders. Thereafter the rally moved towards Husainabad where under the leadership of Sayed Qaim Ali Shah, Sassui Palijo, of PPP and other PPP workers also staged another sit-in near Gudoo Chowk. The similar sit-in was staged in Larkana and Karachi by Awami Tahreek and Sindhiani Tahreek workers, SST students and environmental, social and human rights activists. Another sit-in was staged at Press Club Hyderabad by JSQM under the leadership of Abdul

Wahid Areesar. The sindhi leadership has appealed the world community to join their united struggle against proposed Kalabagh Mega Dam and canals on Indus

On the other hand the Long March of Awami Tahreek has reached in Hyderabad district and thousands of men, women and children have completed half of their 685 kilometers long journey. During this march and unique mass moblization intiative Sindh has been observing a new mood of awakening and resistance and emotional speeches of Mr. Palijo and Sindhiani Tahreek activists are introducing new trends in the politics of Sindh. During the past fifteen days thousands of people have been chanting, "Parvez Musharaf ker Ailan.....Dam khapey ya Pakistan???" While speaking at rallies and sit-ins in different towns and cities the speakers are announcing in equivocal terms that if any individual or party would compromise on Kalabagh or any other dam / cut on Indus it will be declared traitor of Sindh and its entry in rural areas would be banned by Sindhi masses. Mr. Palijo said Gen Pervez Musharraf had failed to canvass Sindhis for construction of the Kalabagh dam, now he is in search of some betrayers, agents and dallaals.

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Aziz Narejo wrote:

Pl also read the story in daily Dawn at: http://www.dawn.com/2005/03/14/top6.htm

No surplus water for more dams: expert

By Naveed Ahmad (The News March 14, 2005)

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has no surplus water for storing in mega dams like Kalabagh, Skardu or Bhasha as the country has been facing consistent shortfall since 1997-98.

In 28 years from 1976-77 to 2004, surplus water was available in nine years only with two cycles when it was not available in four years continuously and the last cycle of continuous seven years, said an independent analyst Idrees Rajput.

"The first and foremost requirement for a dam is surplus water availability for filling it and it is not a good cost-benefit analysis if a mega dam with an investment ranging from $5 billion to $20 billion is not filled every year," said the expert while delivering a keynote address at a conference on ‘Financing Mega Dams’ organised to mark the International Day of Action Against Dams and for Rivers, Water and Life.

The half-day conference was organised jointly by Sungi Development Foundation and Sustainable Development Policy Institute in which representative from all the water-related NGOs participated but none came from the public sector. The organisers claimed that the officials concerned were invited but they chose to stay away from civil society activities for their own reasons.

According to him, a large dam is an interference with nature and its negative impacts are due to reservoir impoundment on the upstream of the dam and due to reduced flows downstream. While the impacts of dam on ecology and biodiversity are well publicised, the seminar highlighted the social impacts pertaining to displacement of people and effect on their livelihood, health, social system and cultures.

The standard impacts of such structures are seen in reservoir area on upstream of dam, flood plains or reach from dam site up to delta and deltaic area. He said in Pakistan dams are meant for power generation or irrigation, or both.

"It is not a sustainable system if irrigation is intermittent i.e. in one year it is there and in next year it is not there," he remarked while the umbrella organisation of civil society, Pakistan Network for Rivers, Dams and People (PNRDP), representative clapped in affirmative. The PRNDP is also a partner network of the World Commission on Dams.

Idrees Rajput analysed the availability of surplus water for mega dams with three scenarios: upstream approach, downstream approach and year-to-year basis to prove his point that the country was not able to sustain new reservoirs.

According to him, the water requirements for under-construction projects included one million acre feet (MAF) water for Kachhi Canal, 1.1 MAF for Rainee Canal, 2.5 MAF for Greater Thal Canal, 0.1 MAF for Pat Feeder extension, one MAF for Gomal Zam Dam, 2.9 MAF for Mangla Raising and 2.2 MAF for LBOD. He said this should be seen in the context of annual surplus water availability computations in post-Tarbela period (1976-77 to 2003-04).

In the year-to-year surplus water availability scenario, commitments for ongoing projects rest at 11 MAF need, Indian rights on water rivers stand at two MAF, Afghanistan’s usage on Kabul is approximately 0.5 MAF and Kotri downstream must consume 10 MAF for reasonable ecological status quo.

Idrees also quoted from the Inter-government Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its report of 1996 that had forecast a reduction of Indus flow to the extent of 43 per cent while in its 2001 report again it has forecast less rains in summer and more rains in winter.

Sarwar Bari explained the context in which the discussion of construction and financing of mega dams should be held in Pakistan. The participants of the conference regarded the recent announcements by the government officials regarding construction of dams, second Indus Basin development plan, draft water policy and water vision 2025. "It is believed that all these national decision-making instruments lack proper public consultation, transparency and consent from the people of Pakistan," said a final statement from the NGOs’ body.

The conference claimed the political leaders of smaller provinces, experts and civil society widely share the view that enough water is not available for optimum utilisation of existing dams.

The construction of new dams would require huge capital costs in a capital scarce country without achieving the optimal return. The less frequency of floods and non-availability of water to fill the dams would yield lower benefits than costs, the participants observed.

The meeting also highlighted the environmental costs including downstream costs of dams have never been internalised and estimated by the planners. "The false assumption that flow of water downstream Kotri is unnecessary has forced more than half million people to poverty, starvation and migration," the moot agreed.

The meting suggested that instead of the restoration of environmental disaster at Indus Delta, the announcement of new dam would add to problems of the people of Indus Delta and its environment.

There PRNDP observed that the current paradigm of water resources development has already displaced more than half million people in the project including Tarbela, Mangla, Indus Delta, RBOD, LBOD, Chotiari, Manchar, Chashma and would displace same number in case of construction of Kalabagh Dam, Mirani Dam, Rainee Canal, Kachhi Canal, GTC and other projects envisaged in vision 2025

The meeting largely attended by the NGOs and media persons recommend that in all the current or upcoming projects, the effective participation of local communities should be ensured. Before launching any such scheme, public consultation should be carried out and consensus developed.

The conference also suggested that water should be considered a right and in design of any mega project, people’s basic rights of livelihood and development should be addressed. "The foreign loan creates debt burden on the country, which further reduces the options available with government for providing social services to the poor," the civil society body opined.

(Courtesy The News March 14, 2005)