Pakistan: As water crisis deepens in Sindh's Mithi, residents hit streets in protest

Sindh [Pakistan], February 26 : Dozens of people staged a demonstration in Tharparkar district in Pakistan's Sindh province against the worsening water crisis in the Mithi town.
The protest, which was led by Qaumi Awami Tehreek (QAT) party, also included the general public, the Dawn newspaper reported.
According to QAT leaders, functionaries of the public health department are squarely responsible for the nagging water crisis in the entire district.
"Almost all reverse osmosis plants installed at a cost of over PKR 15 billion have ceased to function due to massive corruption by both the officials of PHED and the private firms, which were responsible for their upkeep," they said.
They also said the town residents were forced to buy water cans at exorbitant rates due to the complete failure of waterworks. Furthermore, the protestors added those who could not afford to buy the essential commodity were forced to consume highly toxic water of wells.
This protest comes amid a looming water crisis in Pakistan that may prove to be disastrous for the country's stability.
The water crisis has set off a series of protests and may hurt Pakistan's ailing economy as well as going to increase feuds among provinces and turn into a flashpoint for a major internal disturbance, according to Toronto based think tank International Forum for Right and Security (IFFRAS).
Farmers in Sindh and Balochistan provinces have started blocking major highways to demand the release of their share of water from the Indus River.
The richest and politically-dominated Punjab province is often accused of allocating the highest and unfair amount of river water to it while leaving other provinces dry, the think tank said.