Dams and Destruction: The Case Study of Indus Delta,Sindh,Pakistan

Abstract

Abstract

Large Dams being the symbol of development and progress have been regarded one of the impressive conquests of human intelligence in maneuvering over nature in terms of using the natural resources. The ideology of development and progress has kept the continuance of the construction of dams, never questioning the irreversible harmful impacts of dams or evaluating whether the promised benefits of dams have actually been realized. The dams on the Indus River have been constructed without getting the consensus of lower riparian Sindh, a federating unit of Pakistan, also the home of Indus Delta. This study focused on dam-induced environmental injustice befallen on deltaic people of Indus Delta and used existing documents, research questionnaires, interviews, and focus group discussions to derive the data. This study found that the water of Indus River was being diverted through dams, canals, and other water diverting mechanisms by upper riparian, Punjab, another federating unit of Pakistan, resulting in social and ecological disaster in Indus Delta and its communities. The deltaic communities of Indus River, who have historical and traditional rights on the Indus River, paid the huge price of dams in terms of irreparable damages to their livelihood along with other impacts, including physical, cultural, and spiritual well-being. The affected deltaic communities demanded that water diverting mechanisms built in upper riparian, Punjab, without the consensus of lower riparian, Sindh, must be dismantled and a water accord signed by both riparian parties must be implemented by the government of Pakistan.