LAHORE: The business community on Tuesday has demanded early construction of the Kalabagh Dam (KBD) and said that being an agrarian country, Pakistan cannot afford to waste huge amount of water resources, which are depleting fast.
They said the shortage of water has not only caused undue damage to the agriculture sector but to the manufacturing sector as well. “We cannot waste more time and the government should pave way for early construction of KBD, which is the only solution of water and electricity shortage,” said Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Ijaz A Mumtaz while talking to a 20-member delegation, led by its Chairman Malik Mansab Awan at the LCCI.Mumtaz said that Pakistan’s economy is based on the agriculture sector and cannot survive without insufficient water resources, adding that the country is already suffering and further delay in the construction of KBD would hit us hard in the future.
He said that it is a good omen that the political circles have started realising the importance of this mega project. “KBD issue has been so much politicised that a consensus seems difficult, therefore the government would have to take an initiative,” he added.
The LCCI president said the losses of recent floods in Pakistan, which are estimated to be billion of dollars, could have been reduced if big dams and water reservoirs were in place.
He said that KBD was the most suitable project for the national economy as it would not only produce cheap and sufficient electricity but would also avert the devastation caused by the floods. He said that KDB is a must to control the poverty and those who opposed its construction, played with the country’s future.The LCCI president said that KBD was not only beneficial to Punjab alone but it would be more helpful in erasing poverty from Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KP) as it would irrigate 800,000 acres of cultivable land that is located 100-150 feet above the Indus river level.
He said the land could only be brought under cultivation if the river level is raised, which is only possible if KBD is built.
The political leadership, he added, is manipulating the issue for their advantage. “Civil society would have to play a crucial role in creating a larger consensus, as new large water reservoirs would benefit every Pakistani. Further delay in gathering a consensus from all stakeholders on the construction of unduly politicised KBD would cost this country and its coming generations very dearly.Mumtaz said that all the stakeholders should show some maturity on the issue of KBD, as it is high time that all undue stands should be brushed aside to save the country from that era of darkness. He said that unlike Pakistan, India is constructing dams at every possible site.The LCCi president said that every one knows that the existing dams are constantly silting up, leaving ever decreasing capacity to store water. “The construction of KBD along with other new dams is desperately needed to store adequate water. According to a conservative estimate, about 30 million acre feet of water is being wasted into the sea because the country has no big water reservoirs to store it. Another significant aspect connected with the construction of KBD is the surety of sufficient amount of electricity at comparatively cheaper price. The country’s dependence on power generation through thermal sources is costing way too much, causing the country to face insurmountable challenges to remain competitive both in national and international markets,” he added.
