In view of the clear and incontrovertable resolutions passed by the representative assemblies of three small provinces(i.e. Sindh, Balochistan and NWFP/Pakhtoonkhwa) against the construction of Kalabagh Dam, WSI considers the abrupt Pakistan government decision as imperialistic and undemocratic. Coming at the heels of rancorous debate in the parliament on the imposition of emergency and suspension of the fundamental rights guarenteed in the constitution, the decision is clearly hegemonic and against the interests of the Pakistani federation. The WSI believes that with this action the Punjabi ruling clique has come much closer to killing the federation of Pakistan and started a process of dismemberment of Pakistan. In the aftermath of flexing the nuclear muscle, the Punjab dominated government of Pakistan wrongly believes that it can treat people of Sindh, Balochistan and NWFP as mere slaves of Punjabi overlords and unashamedly trample their legimate and internationally recognized rights.
The arguments put forward by Pakistan in favor of Kalabagh Dam are totally baseless and without any merit. How can Kalabagh Dam be needed for power production when Pakistan had been negotiating to sell excess power to India? The argument that the Dam will provide excess water for food production also does not hold water. First, the proposed land to be cultivated is in sandy areas of Seraiki belt that will drain water like a sponge. Second, the water shortage in the lower Indus basin is already acute and with the construction of the dam it will further decline and reach disastrous proportions. Presently, fertile lands of Sindh will be rendered useless. Therefore, the dam construction may bring some land under cultivation in Punjab but only at the cost of green and fertile lands of Sindh and with more water consumption per acre basis. Consequently, there will not only be a net loss of food production in Pakistan but many Sindh areas will even be deprived of drinking water. It is an open secret that most of the land to be brought under cultivation from the Kalabagh dam is owned by Punjabi settlers and absantee landlords in Seraiki areas of Punjab. Thus the only reason for dam construction is unbrideled greed of Punjabi oligarchy and their attempts to reduce Seraiki speaking people in minority in their own region.
On the environmental front, the acute shortage of water in the lower Indus basin will wipe out INDUS DOLPHIN ("Bulahan") and SHAD ("Sindhi Palo") population. Also, there will be an ecological disaster in the coastal regions of Sindh due to salt water intrusion, especially the Mangrove ("Sindhi Tamar") forests will be anihilated along with many rare species of fish, animal and birds that are sustained by the Mangroves. Further more, Kalabagh dam will result in the reduction or elimination of the flood overflow from the Indus. This in turn will dry out the forests and Kacha areas along the banks of the river Indus converting huge areas of Sindh in desert. Also, many wetlands and lakes that depend on the water from the river Indus and sustain many plant, fish and bird species will be lost for ever. The river Indus will lose its assimilative capacity due to reduced and non-existant flow converting it into practically a cesspool to merely carry sewage and industrial wastewater and rendering all aquatic life in the river dead either due to toxins or lack of dissolved oxygen. Any use of this water for public water supplies and other consumption will expose huge population to health dangers putting tremendous pressure on the meager state public health resources.
The Indus water has central role in the psyche, society and culture of the Sindhi people. The construction of the dam is likely to render river Indus below Sukkur dry most of the year. Many Mohannas living on the Indus will become homeless and the Indus that is the "Darya Shah or Zindah Pir" for Sindhis will be polluted and reduced from once mighty river to mere expanse of shallow water. This is tantamount to cultural terrorism on the Sindhi people, an attempt by Punjabi colonialists to deprive Sindhis of their thousands year old cultural heritage.
The Kalabagh dam construction is contrary to the water distribution accords between Sindh and Punjab and clear violation of the water rights of Sindh under International Law and legal conventions. Sindh being most downstream territory on the river Indus has the last word in manipulation of Indus water upstream.
Many experts believe the location of the Kalabagh dam is within the realm of active earthquack zone. Therefore, it is infeasible and potentially catastrophic to locate a dam of this nature in such an earthquake prone area. Secondly, the design of the dam would necessitate a huge artificial lake that will cover most of the prime lands of NWFP, rendering indigenous population homeless and will result in huge monitory and economical loss to not only the people of NWFP but all parts of Pakistan except Punjab.
Considering the above factors, the World Sindhi Institute has identified the following actions to educate the government and non-governmental organizations of the world and bring about consensus in opposition of the Kalabagh dam and bring to bear pressure on the government of Pakistan to abandon the dam project. The WSI actions include:
1. WSI will put together a position paper on Kalabagh dam, highlighting the negative political, legal, envoirnmemtal, technical, cultural and social impacts of the dam.
2. WSI will call a meeting of the interested groups in Washington DC to bring together human rights and environmental organizations in order to mobilize public opinion in the United States and other western countries.
3. WSI will communicate with the World Bank, the United Nations, and the International Court of Justice to present the grievances of the Sindhi people vis-a-vis the Kalabagh dam.
4. WSI will communicate with the other Sindhis organizations world over to combine efforts to inform the world about the plight of Sindhis and expose undemocratic action of the government of Pakistan to construct of Kalabagh dam.
5. WSI will organize a protest in Washington DC in front of the Pakistan Embassy and deliver a message against the Kalabagh dam construction.
6. In collaboration with other like minded organizations WSI will organize an international conference on Kalabagh dam.
7. WSI will organize seminars and workshops in many cities of the US and other western countries to present Sindhi point of view about disastrous effects of the Kalabagh dam.
8. WSI will arrange writing articles for publication in major publication all around the world.
9. WSI will produce multimedia publications about the deleterious effects of the Kalabagh dam.
10. If, as, and when the actual construction of the Kalabagh dam starts, WSI has pledged a hunger strike unto death in Washington DC.
WSI has requested all peace loving citizens of the world, especially Sindhis, to come forward and assist WSI in these efforts.