A FRESH conflict has erupted between Punjab and Sindh on the issue of irrigating a new command area. Punjab’s irrigation department sought a water availability certificate from the Indus River System Authority to irrigate two million acres of land under the Smaller Cholistan scheme. The department’s presentation reveals that the feasibility studies of the Greater Cholistan and Smaller Cholistan schemes have been completed to bring a total of 6.6m acres of new land under canal command. Sindh’s objection was overruled at Irsa and the certificate was issued in favour of Punjab, but the province submitted a detailed note of dissent against the proposal.
Similarly, in August 2023, Wapda had presented a proposal on another forum to irrigate 6m acres of land in Cholistan through the Sutlej river on its left bank.
A drive for large-scale corporate farming has already kicked off. Sindh’s last caretaker government had leased 52,000 acres of land in six districts where the newly created Green Pakistan Initiative intends to experiment with corporate farming. Developing new command areas in Cholistan is also part of the mega farming campaign; $40 billion in revenue and the creation of millions of jobs are being touted under the........