Islamabad, Pakistan – The Pakistani government launched an ambitious agricultural project with the aim of enhancing food security in South Asia, which has a number of 240 million people.

A network of six channels throughout the country will be built to irrigate millions of acres of arid lands as part of a project of $ 3.3 billion (945 billion rupees) called the Pakistan Green Initiative (GPI), which was launched by the Commander of the Public Army of the General Army, Ashm Monir and Prime Minister Shihbaz in 2023.

Supporters were opened by Munir and the Prime Minister of Punjab County last month, and the channel’s project was welcomed by supporters as the change of the game that will turn vast desert lands into fertile agricultural lands.

Munir, Punjab, praised the most populated governorate, because of its role of “Pakistani Agriculture Force”, adding that the army will continue its support for economic growth in the country.

But critics say that the huge project, which aims to build channels in all four provinces of Pakistan, Water In the southern parts of the country. They say that the project has been planned without the approval of the stakeholders.

According to many skeptics, GPI will increase the emphasis on the Pakistan River system, which has witnessed low water levels due to climate change and excessive exploitation.

Many protests took place in the southern Sindh district since the announcement of the project, with the last demonstration held on March 25 in the main cities including Karachi, led by the Pakistani People’s Party (PPP), the ruling party in the bond that also supports the government led by Sharif.

So, what is GPI? What is its scope? And why do some of its proposed channels face such a strong resistance?

Why people protested in the bond?

The allocation of water has always been a political flash point in Pakistan, and the bond, such as preserving the low river, fears that losing water in front of developments on the source may cause the disaster.

Since the government has announced its intention to develop channels on the bond – the largest life artery in the country and water – thousands of people, including women and children, have moved to the streets.

A protest gathering was held on February 16th in Bahit Shah in the bond, where the participants rotated it on the channel’s system, expressing their fear of a decrease in the water share in the bond. The bond depends on the water from the Sindh River system for drinking as well as agricultural purposes.

What is the Green Pakistan initiative?

Agriculture is the backbone of the Pakistani economy, as it contributed about 25 percent of its GDP (GDP) and the provision of 37 percent of its functions.

GPI was launched in July 2023 to address old agricultural practices to improve productivity.

It aims to update the agricultural sector by introducing new technologies and equipment, including drones and land management systems, as well as providing seeds and fertilizers to increase yield.

The project also aims to provide technical inputs for farmers, including soil testing among other services, and attracting domestic and foreign investment alike to create what Munir described as “modern farms” at the opening of the project in Islamabad in 2023.

Pakistan imported $ 9 billion in its nutritional value in 2023, although it faced a credit in the payment crisis and forced to borrow money from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The Green Corporate (GCI), a private company owned by the army, has been assigned to convert the target lands into agricultural agricultural lands.

“The stimulation of agriculture is necessary for the economy, especially since Pakistan faces climate -related threats,” said retired general Shahid Nazir, who heads GPI, on the island.

Nazer said that 4.8 million acres (1.94 million hectares) of “Al -Qaili Al -Qaili” were determined throughout the country.

He added that making this land canalable will also provide job opportunities for more than 60,000 people.

The army has a tremendous influence in the country, after it has directly ruled Pakistan for more than three decades, and runs many commercial entities in the real estate sectors, agriculture, construction and other sectors.

According to GPI, the project will focus on the growth of “targeted crops”, including cotton, wheat, wheat, sunflower, rice, lentils, and others.

Under the plan, the company will rent land for 30 years through various business models, where at least 1,000 acres (405 hectares) will be allocated to investors, who can be foreigners and local investors on a large scale.

However, Nazir added that the ultimate goal is to use investment widely as a model for small farmers, who can then cooperate with small farmers to upgrade their agricultural technologies, which makes them walk speed with contemporary practices.

What is the Cholisan channel and why is it important?

President Asif Ali Zardari presented the approvals on the “six strategic channels” in July 2024, who is from the bond and co -chair of PPP, after his meeting with GPI officials.

According to the preparations of the meeting, these channels were considered a “vital matter for agricultural development and food security”, and Zardari agreed to “their simultaneous execution” with the urgency of fixed financing from both federal and local governments.

Among the channels, Chullet is the largest and most important project.

According to official documents, the 176 km (109 miles) channel has three branches, with a total capacity of 4,120 zucchini (116,665 liters/s), and is expected to be completed by mid -2013, at an estimated cost of $ 783 million.

To build the canal, the authorities acquired 1.2 million acres (485623 hectares) of land in Punjab, with more than 90 percent of them in the Chullet desert, which defines India.

In the first stage, 452,000 acres of land will be covered, while 750,000 acres of land will be seen through the completion of the second stage. More than 170,000 acres of land in the Chullet desert is already used by private sector investors for agriculture.

According to the work paper prepared by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Federal Special Initiatives, “Therefore, the construction of the Chulletin channel is seen as a decisive intervention to convert the region by bringing reliable and sustainable water supplies to large areas of previously uncovered lands.”

The newspaper said: “This project is also in line with wider national goals, such as increasing food security, improving rural livelihoods, and enhancing sustainable development in the least developed areas in Pakistan.”

Nazir has set three basic goals for the cultivation of the Cholisan Desert: “Developing the Earth, increasing the return, promoting biological diversity, and ensuring social impact.”

He said: “While our local farmer is the ultimate goal, we want to cooperate with foreign investors as well as local investors on a large scale.”

SIFC, a high -level body of the army commander and the Prime Minister, was established in 2023 to help investors overcome bureaucratic obstacles.

This step aims to attract investors to Pakistan, a country that faces severe economic challenges and is currently participating in the plan to save the International Monetary Fund of $ 7 billion, which is 25 years since 1958.

Where does the water come from?

after Water bond treaty (IWT), a mechanism for the distribution of water between Pakistan and India agreed in 1960, Pakistan controls the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers, while India controls Sutlej, Ravi and Beas.

The proposed plan of the channels states that it will be fed with excess flood water from the Indian Sutlig River. However, critics argue that only dependence on flood water is an unreliable proposal.

Naser Memon, an ecological specialist in Islamabad, highlights that the flow of water in the eastern rivers of the Indus-Sutlej, Ravi and Beas- steadily decreases due to the construction of dams as well Climate.

“If you look at the flow data, between 1976 and 1998, the average flow was 9.35 million acres (MAF). From 1999 to 2022, he decreased to only 2.96 MAF,” he said to Al -Jazeera.

The 2021 report, issued by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), highlights that Pakistan depends only on the IBIS irrigation system (IBIS) for its basic security and water supply.

The country provides only 10 percent of river water compared to a global average of 40 percent. Moreover, the Food and Agriculture Organization says that Pakistan is one of the most stressful water in the world, withdrawing approximately 75 percent of the total renewable water resources.

IBIS is one of the largest adjacent irrigation systems in the world, as it helps about 44 million acres (18 million hectares) of lands in Pakistan and works through “three multi -purpose storage tanks, 19 capabilities, and 12 of the links between the river and 45 main irrigation channels,” according to FAO.

What do critics say?

Supervising the distribution of water in Pakistan by the IRSA River System Authority (IRSA), an organizational body established in 1992 to distribute the water of the Sindh River in a form between the four provinces.

Despite the opposition of the IRSA representative in the EHSAN Leghari, the authority last month issued a certificate that is mainly accepted that there is enough water available to the Cholistan channel.

In his opposition note, Legari warned that this may require the re -direction of water from the bond to the Chulletin channel, which, he said, will be “unfair to the bond.”

Data analysis Sind Basin in Pakistan In many reports, he indicated that the use of water in the Indus basin already exceeds its availability, and the Indus Basin passes through the critical condition, is unable to meet the current drinking water needs and is unable to stop the seawater leakage. “

The Sindh government, headed by PPP, has approved an ally of the Sharif Islamic Association of Pakistan, Nawaz (PMLN), a unanimous decision in the regional assembly, demanding an immediate cessation of all activities related to the channel project.

A senior leader of the Pakistani People’s Party also criticized the project, saying that he would have a harmful impact on the agricultural sector in the bond.

Sherry Rahman, the party leader of the Parliamentary Senate, warned that the project would lead to the fertile lands desert.

Maimon, a water expert, asked about the lack of transparency from the army and Punjab government about how to obtain irrigation water.

He said: “If Sutelig does not have enough water and Punjab from the Gilum River, the Punjab deficiency may be compensated by taking more water from the bond and depriving the bond.”

In addition to the fears highlighted by MEMON, the official IRSA memo warned last week of water shortage, noting that Punjab has already faced a 20 percent deficit and a bond of 14 percent, with a possible increase to 30 to 35 percent in the coming months.

Maimon agreed that improving agricultural practices and bringing them equally with modern practices is necessary, but he said: “The process must be transparent and fair.”

“The private Punjab share of water is guaranteed through the current channel system. But when the new irrigation areas are planned, without explaining where the water comes, it is imperative that people in the bond express their anger and protest.”