Pakistan Mutthida Kissan Mahaz (PMKM) has announced to observe World Water Day as protest day against the Indian plans of constructing dams and reservoirs against the Indus Basic Water treaty. World Water Day falls on March 22 of every year and the organisation has planned protest in Burney Garden adjacent to Alhamra Hall in the city.
This was announced by the President of the organisation, Ayub Khan Mayo while addressing a press conference at the Lahore Press Club (LPC) here on Wednesday. Brigadier Shaukat Hayyat (Retd) and Chaudhry Saeed Ahmed accompanied him. He accused the successive governments of Pakistan of displaying negligence in constructing water reservoirs and dams on rivers while India continued constructing dams, head-works to divert all the available water to its lands.
He said that India was working on construction of a 400-kilometer long canal to divert the water of Indus River to its lands in Rajhstan. He said that Indus was irrigating maximum Pakistani agricultural land and construction of this canal would turn it in to barren.
Ayub Mayo said that with a view to lodge protest on these Indian plans and creating awareness amongst the Pakistani farmers and other segments of the society about the issue. He also said that the government should construct all dams including Kalabagh Dam to ensure availability of water for agriculture and cheaper power generation.