Sindh protests against Ecnec’s approval of Greater Thal Canal

KARACHI: Sindh’s caretaker government has protested against the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approving the Greater Thal Canal without an agenda, and has demanded that Ecnec withdraw its decision and defer the matter for consideration to the next elected government.

Ecnec member and Sindh interim revenue minister Younus Dagha termed the Greater Thar Canal controversial, and has written to Ecnec chairperson and federal caretaker finance minister Shamshad Akhtar to request that the decision be reviewed.

Ecnec’s meeting was held on February 7, 2024, and carried only one agenda item, that is Sehat Sahulat Card (3rd Revision), which can be seen from the notice of the meeting, Dagha said in his letter, a copy of which is available with The News.

He said that during the meeting, however, several agenda items were tabled for Ecnec’s consideration. Towards the end, the planning, development & special initiatives (PDSI) secretary requested the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) chairman to make a presentation on the Water Sector Strategic Plan, he added.

He explained that the plan included controversial projects such as the Greater Thal Canal and the Cholistan Canal, over which the Sindh province has serious reservations.

He said that it has been the contention of the Government of Sindh, in addition to other technical reasons, that the Indus River System does not have enough water available to allow for the construction of new canals.

He added that Ecnec is aware that the Government of Sindh has also lodged a complaint with the Council of Common Interests (CCI) for making its decision before Ecnec’s consideration of this project.

Dagha said that during the meeting the forum was categorically informed that the Water Sector Strategic Plan was neither part of the Ecnec meeting’s agenda nor was its summary tabled before the forum, and any document relating to the strategic plan was also not shared with Ecnec members prior to the meeting.

He reiterated that the plan was presented without due consultation and consensus among the provinces. Besides, he pointed out, the plan entails capital investment of hundreds of billions of rupees, which cannot be decided in haste and without due deliberation by all the stakeholders, especially the provinces.

He requested the forum to defer the matter to the next elected government to decide on such an important matter of strategic importance, as only one day was left in the general elections at that time.

He said that from this point onwards, the discussion of the forum was moved by the Wapda chairman towards the approval of the Greater Thal Canal.

He added that in response he highlighted that it was neither logical nor rational to discuss the approval of the canal when the CCI is yet to give its verdict on the project pursuant to the complaint of the Sindh province.

Dagha said that it was informed that the matter was thoroughly discussed in the last Ecnec meeting and was rightly deferred. Later, the views and position of the Sindh government were also communicated to the PDSI secretary through the Sindh Planning & Development Department’s January 22 letter.

He said that it was also reiterated that the matter was neither on the agenda of Ecnec’s meeting nor was its summary circulated, and that it was not even presented before the forum by the PDSI ministry or the water resources ministry.

He also said that a brief submitted by the PDSI ministry and the water resources ministry was also mentioned by him during the meeting. In this regard, he added, the forum was apprised that the said brief was also not shared with the provinces nor was Sindh consulted during its preparation.

He pointed out that the communication of the Sindh government dated January 3 was also apparently ignored while preparing the brief. As such, he stressed, any decision on the Greater Thal Canal by the forum in its current meeting would be unfair, beyond Ecnec’s mandate and unacceptable to the Sindh province.