The construction of additional canals on the Indus River threatens severe ecological damage to Sindh, compounding issues already exacerbated by climate change and water mismanagement. Sindh’s agriculture and communities, highly dependent on the Indus, are at significant risk. Reduced water flow downstream could lead to further destruction of agricultural land, displacement of communities, and irreversible harm to the ecosystem.
The Sindh government has consistently opposed the construction of additional canals on the Indus River, citing concerns over water scarcity and its adverse effects on the province’s agriculture and communities. Sindh, being at the tail-end of the Indus River system, heavily relies on its water for irrigation, drinking, and sustaining its ecosystem. Diverting more water upstream through additional canals would reduce downstream flow, exacerbating water shortages for agriculture, drinking purposes, and the Indus Delta, which is vital for Sindh’s ecology.
In a move that highlights growing divide between key political allies in the Centre, the PPP government in Sindh has called on the PML-N-led coalition government to convene a meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) — a key body tasked with resolving power-sharing disputes between the federal and provincial governments — reminding Islamabad to “fulfil its constitutional obligation” in this regard.
In November 2024, widespread protests erupted across Sindh against the federal government’s plan to construct six canals from the Indus River. Political and religious parties, nationalist groups, and civil society organizations participated in rallies, demanding the project be shelved. The Sindh United Party’s ‘Bedari March’ in Hyderabad and a rally in Larkana led by the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), SindhyaniTehreek were among the major events. Leaders emphasized that the canal project would undermine Sindh’s very existence and lead to the destruction of its agriculture sector
It is pertinent to mention here that Sindh relies on the Indus for irrigating its vast farmland, producing crops like rice, wheat, and sugarcane. According to recent estimates, Sindh contributes about 35% of Pakistan’s agricultural output. However, water scarcity due to upstream diversions has already resulted in 30-40% of farmland being degraded, leaving it unusable. Additional canals would worsen this, as reduced flows mean increased salinity and desertification, rendering fertile land barren.
The devastating floods of 2022 displaced over 8 million people in Sindh, with many migrating to urban areas. If further canals reduce water availability, the sea intrusion in the Indus Delta, already impacting 2.2 million acres of fertile land, will accelerate. This would force even more rural communities reliant on agriculture and fishing to abandon their homes for urban centers like Karachi, increasing urban overcrowding and poverty.
The Indus Delta, a UNESCO-recognized ecosystem, requires at least 8.6 million acre-feet (MAF) of water annually to sustain itself. Currently, less than 5 MAF is reaching the delta, leading to severe degradation of wetlands, loss of biodiversity, and the intrusion of seawater up to 100 kilometers inland. Additional canals will further disrupt this balance, endangering not only livelihoods but also Sindh’s unique flora and fauna.
To prevent ecological collapse, Sindh’s people demand adherence to the 1991 Water Accord, equitable water sharing, and a halt to projects that would jeopardize the Indus’s downstream flow. Without this, agriculture, rural livelihoods, and the province’s ecological integrity remain at grave risk.