According to the sources, the Inter-Provincial Department of the Sindh government had asked the Irrigation and Power Department to provide all necessary details of the proposed hydroelectric power plant so that the Sindh could lodge a strong protest in the IPC meeting.
The provincial IPC ministers of Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan and NWFP would attend the meeting to resolve inter-provincial issues. Provincial IPC Minister Makhdom Jameel-uz-Zaman and Secretary Moula Bux Khatian would represent Sindh and present Sindh's case at the meeting, they said.
They said that the Punjab government without the consent of Sindh was planning to establish a hydroelectric power plant to generate 44MW electricity in a move to overcome persisting energy crisis in the country. However, it was proposed by the Punjab government that the said plant would be run with the help of Indus water from Sindh's share for a period of two months, they added.
In 1971, an agreement was made between the Sindh and Punjab governments under which the Punjab could divert the Indus water only when there was surplus water available in all the canals and barrages of the province. Another major condition at that time was that at least 40 MAF would be released into the Arabian Sea from the Kotri Barrage downstream, they said.
They added that at present there was no water in canals and the rough sea had eroded millions of agricultural lands. Sources said that the Sindh government had informed the Nepra and the Ministry of Water and Power twice about the reservation of the province through letters, however, no heed was paid so far reflecting that the federal government had made its mind over the project despite strong opposition from Sindh.
They said that Irrigation and Power Department of Sindh government moved a summary to the Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Friday urging him to again talk to the Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani over this serious issue and request him to shelve the proposed power plant.
In the summary, the provincial irrigation and power department had also sought permission from the CM for knocking door of the judiciary so that timely stay order could be obtained on this project. The Sindh government has also started contacting law and constitutional expert over this issue and was expected to approach the Supreme Court of Pakistan if the matter was not resolved in the IPC meeting next week, the sources further informed.