Sutlej has been turned into ‘River of Sand’: Durrani

LAHORE: The helpless people of Bahawalpur and adjoining districts, mainly comprising Cholistan desert, have been deprived of their due share of water as Sutlej River, which used to feed this vast area, has been turned into a ‘River of Sand’ due to lack of adequate flows.
This was stated by Muhammad Ali Durrani, former federal minister for information and the chief of Movement for Restoration of Bahawalpur province, while talking to The News.Fairly large swaths of Bahawalpur and other southern Punjab districts, which were part of Bahawalpur state, have largely been reduced to dust-blowing and sparsely-populated barren lands. The residents of these 6.4 million acres of land could otherwise thrive and make this area a food basket of the country provided water is allowed to flow towards Sutlej River from Chenab, as per the Indus Basin Treaty, Durrani said referring to planned Trimmu-Sulemanki Link Canal, which, according to him, has not been constructed.
It is clearly stated in the Indus Basin Treaty (Section-IV of the Article-1) that the canals which were getting water from eastern rivers will be given water from western rivers by diverting water through link canals.
He said India snatched entire water of Sutlej River following signing of the Treaty, which is sheer injustice with the people of this area. On the other hand, he added, the link canal was not built as per original plan to make up lost supplies of river flows.
He said the design capacity of other canal namely Trimmu-Islam Link Canal had been reduced to 11,000 cusecs from 22,000 cusecs. He said the Annexure H of treaty provides details of the Link Canal which was to be constructed before March 31, 1968. Owing to such injustices, the 300-km long stretch of once brimming river from Sulemanki Headworks to Punjnad Barrage, has now been turned into a River of Sand.
As a result, the districts of Bahawalnagar, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur, Pakpattan, Khanewal and Lodhran are facing multiple challenges relating to decreasing water table and its deteriorating quality. He said Bahawalpur and surrounding areas are ranked top in the category of unfit groundwater for human consumption, besides dwindling level of water table. People have become a victim of waterborne diseases due to arsenic and other pollutants.
Durrani said adverse effects of water shortage have also been found in an official study on “Trend in Groundwater Level & Overview of Groundwater Quality”. As per the study, conducted by Directorate of Land Reclamation of Punjab Irrigation Department in 2012, 77% of Bahawalnagar water is not fit for human consumption while 57% of Bahawalpur, 59% of Sahiwal, 46% of Rahim Yar Khan has not been found suitable for human consumption.
Groundwater in most of Cholistan areas is also not fit for drinking, he said and added that people have to rely only on canal water or ponds replenished by rainwater. You will frequently find human and animal drinking water from canals and ponds also known as tobas alike. The worst affected areas include Fort Abbas, Haroonabad in Bahawalnagar district, Darawar Fort, Bajnot, Rukanpur and Maujgarh in Bahawalpur district, Mithra, Islamgarh in the Rahim Yar Khan district.
About the Indus Basin Treaty and its impact on the inhabitants of Bahawalpur, Durrani stressed the need for take up drying of Sutlej River with India for at least seeking environmental flows. He accused India of violating the UN Convention for International Watercourses. The articles 7, 10, 20, 21, 22 and 23 clearly prohibited any country from completely stopping course of river. India is violating these provisions by not releasing single drop of water from Ferozpur Headworks towards Pakistan through Sutlej River.
He said Bahawalpur is 24% area of all canal irrigated area of the Punjab province. Bahawalpur and surrounding areas must be given preference in provision of canal water, he demanded. The extended canal network in these border districts can be used for fortifying defence in this otherwise sensitive area by developing populated areas in addition to creating a physical obstacle at borderline, Durrani said.