The Ponam leaders, Mumtaz Bhutto, Zain Shah, Shah Muhammad Shah, Mahmood Azakzai, Qadir Magsi were addressing a public meeting at Daherki, expressing strong resentment over the construction of Kalabagh dam, while the Sindh Water Committee is planning to launch a province wide campaign against water conservation projects with special reference to Kalabagh dam.
Irrigation experts extolling the observation of the President over the construction of new water reservoirs, also expressed reservations.
Quoting several examples, these experts observed that unless the mistrust between the upper and lower riparian removed the controversies over such projects would continue. They said mistrust and confusion started when the lower riparian discovered that the original plan of Kalabagh dam was tampered and efforts were made to turn it into a barrage by including the provision of two canals one of which was to irrigate vast area of Thal.
According to sources, the contract to prepare feasibility report was given to ACE and ATC Consulting Engineers and they were also allowed to engage foreign experts and consultants. Four foreign consultants include two from Germany, one from UK and one from US were engaged who carried out the exercise and survey the entire area from Kabul River, salt range and the present location.
The site was selected just below the Soan River. The consultants keeping in view that Soan River water might also fall into dam during the flooding season designed spillway on Punjab side while power station on NWFP side.
According to their Feasibility Report 1970 but this design was changed and inclusion of canal was included.
The change in original plan was strongly resented by both Sindh and NWFP, and the government had to shelve this project but this has resulted in mistrust between the upper and lower riparian which is continue.
The Punjab and Sindh agreed to sign 91 Water Accord which has been continuously misinterpreted by the upper riparian and efforts to supersede this Accord with a ministerial arrangement in 1994 has further fuelled hatred between the two federating units.
They also said that the successive governments have not taken any initiative to probe into the allegations of the lower riparian to restore the lost trust between the two federating units of the country.
They said unless the 1991 Water Accord which is a consensus document is fully implemented and the distribution of water be carried out strictly in accordance with the provision of the 1991 Accord the mistrust would continue.
The growers representatives when asked to comment on President observations, they told Business Recorder that the Sindh problems is availability of water and not construction of water conservation projects. They said water is matter of life and death for the people of Sindh, but unfortunately the ruling junta have made no effort to understand the extent of damage caused by water scarcity to the rural economy of this part of the country.
The said in view of the past experience the people wants constitutional guarantee for their share of water may it be 1991 Water Accord or Kalabagh dam.
They also demanded a high-level enquiry by a team of experts into misinterpretation of 91 Water Accord, and tampering of original plan of Kalabagh dam.