he Punjab government has launched a project to develop agriculture in Cholistan.

However, the Sindh government has expressed reservations over the initiative. The latter has submitted a summary to the Council of Common Interests, a constitutional forum mandated with addressing concerns of provinces, including those related to sharing and use of water resources. However, a CCI meeting has not been convened for one year although the constitution mandates a quarterly meeting.

In January 2024, the Indus River System Authority issued a certificate of water availability for Cholistan feeder canal. The Sindh member had cast a dissenting vote but it was overruled by other members. The Sindh government had submitted a number of objections, including the point that the canal in question was initially described as a seasonal (flood) canal but when the PC-1 of the project was presented before the CDWP, it was for a perennial canal. The Planning Commission has raised this question in its comments on the PC-1 document.

A WAPDA document claims that the project will irrigate six million acres of Cholistan through Sutlej River canals. The river was surrendered to India under the Indus Waters Treaty. The river has no reliable flows now except when India discharges its surplus (flood) flows as was done in 2023.

The Cholistan Feeder Canal is designed to draw 4,120 cusecs of water from Sulemanki Barrage on the Sutlej River. The canal from Sulemanki will transport water to Fort Abbas to feed a 120 km-long Marot Canal to irrigate 452,000 acres through a network of 452 km long distributaries and water courses. The project also entails capacity enhancement of three link canals namely Rasool-Qadirabad, Qadirabad-Balloki and Balloki-Sulemanki.

This scheme is part of a much bigger Greater Cholistan scheme. It includes construction of barrages at Bahawalnagar and Hasilpur. Additionally, the scheme involves 195 kilometre-long Chiniot-Hasilpur Link Canal with a capacity of 15,000 cusecs and two feeder canals with a capacity of 8,500 and 5,500 cusecs.

This scheme is part of a bigger Greater Cholistan plan. It includes construction of barrages at Bahawalnagar and Hasilpur. Additionally, the scheme involves 195 kilometre-long Chiniot-Hasilpur Link Canal with a capacity of 15,000 cusecs and two feeder canals with a capacity of 8,500 and 5,500 cusecs. A presentation by the WAPDA shows that these barrages and canals will get water by constructing reservoirs on Chenab River at Mid Ranjha, Shah Jewana and Chiniot.

The Sindh government fears that these link canals could be used to divert water from Jhelum River through Chenab and Ravi to take water to Sulemanki barrage so that shortages will occur downstream in the command areas of Trimmu and Panjnad barrages in Jehlum-Chenab zone. This shortfall could then be compensated by diverting water from Indus through Chashma-Jhelum and Taunsa-Punjnad Canals. This will be particularly impactful during drought years when Mangla Dam is depleted.

The Punjab government has said that the canal will draw water from its provincial share of water. Whereas IRSA’s water availability data (1999-2023) reveals a shortfall of 16.6 per cent against the allocations under the 1991 Water Accord. The Punjab and Sindh endured shortages of 13.7 per cent and 19.4 per cent respectively during these years. Since the provincial shares are allocated on ten-days basis under the Water Accord, one wonders where from the water will be diverted for Cholistan?

The Peoples Party government in Sindh faces a political dilemma as well. President Asif Ali Zardari chaired a meeting of the Green Pakistan Initiative in July 2024. According to the minutes of the meeting, he approved in principle the simultaneous execution of six strategic canals, including the Cholistan Canal. The nationalist parties and local media in Sindh have accused the PPP of not opposing the project wholeheartedly and forcefully.

The writer is a civil society professional, nmemon2004@yahoo.com