SA rejects construction of power plant at Chashma Jhelum.

KARACHI -- The Sindh province on Monday rejected the construction of hydropower plant at the Chashma Jhelum.

The provincial assembly on Monday passed a resolution tabled by PPP lawmaker Abdul Aziz Junejo while the opposition parties also submitted another resolution in the house.

The resolution passed by the house stated that this Assembly categorically rejects NOC given by Indus River System Authority (IRSA) for the controversial hydropower plant on the Chashma-Jhelum link canal. The move is against the wishes of the people of Sindh. This house also passed a resolution on January 20, 2010 opposing the project.

The house wants to remind the IRSA and the federal authorities that even the water cannot be released in Chashma-Jhelum link canal throughout the year and Sindh is already facing acute shortage of water and thousands of acres of coastal land have been eroded by sea. Hence the move is unwarranted.

The house recommends the government of Sindh to approach federal government to take up this issue of blatant flouting of the agreement and address the justified grievances of the people of the Sindh. This house further recommends that the controversial hydroelectric plant on the Chashma Jhelum link canal should be abandoned once and for all. Later, after the proceedings Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) Sindh leader and parliamentary party leader in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh demanded that the system of distribution of water amongst provinces should be given to a third party to maintain its transparency and fairness.

Talking to media outside Sindh assembly after submitting a resolution against controversial hydro-power project on Chamsha Jhelum Link Canal jointly with opposition leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi, he said that though setting up of a run-of-the-river project makes all the sense to produce cheap hydro power; however, the CJ canal is mired with controversy. He said whenever this link has opened the share of Sindh water suffers, or the perception exists that it suffers. He said it is important for the federation that water is shared amongst provinces in letter and spirit as agreed under the IRSA accord.

Water sharing is an issue where...