Settling The Kalabagh Issues

Suppose all said in opposition of constructing the Kalabagh Dam is right. Suggest an alternate plan. It is our national habit to oppose an idea with all might without coming up with an alternate solution. As far as political complication is concerned it is again due to selfish attitudes of politicians concerned for cheap fame at cost of huge national loss. President is absolutely right in stressing the technical nature of the issue. In my opinion by implementing the construction decision an example must be set for future decisions of this sort. It is for engineers and economic advisors to comment on it not for politicians and non technical writers. It is always good to have opinion about a topic but to oppose one needs proper knowledge of the issue.

PM is right, the article seems to change course in mid-stream. People opposing the dam are not just coming out with emotional outbursts. There are several issues that have been addressed by technical experts from Sindh and NWFP. The first bone of contention here is that this dam seems to be serving the interest of the Punjab vs. the other provinces. First of all during the period of filling up the reservoir, which make take a numebr of years, there will be acute shortages of water downstream. Secondly the dam will displace a number of people in the NWFP. Thirdly the idea more than power generation seems to be to divert water from certain areas to unirrigated areas of the Punjab.

Currently there is a severe shortage of water in the downstream area of the river Indus. The city of Karachi is becoming more and more arid every day. A reduced flow in the Indus has caused salt water intrusion into the coastal areas. The mangrove forests along the shores of Karachi, Thatta and Badin are disappearing. This impacts marine life including fish and shrimp as well as water fowl. The salt water intrusion is rendering coastal agricultural areas unfit for cultivation. The saline water table is rising and it has become very difficult to grow crops.

If another large dam is built on the Indus, it will only exacerbate the issue.

What is the position of the author on the issue? The first 60% or so of the article seems to present all possible reasons (and sound ones too) to oppose the building of big dams. Yet, towards the end, the author seems to be advocating just the opposite, with hardly any substantial evidence in support of the case.
Quite confusing.

``Problem with governance`` was well put.

One should look at this thing logically. Pakistan Army has destroyed the country`s institutions. And institutions make a country. Only institutions can help a consensus to be reached. The Pakistan Army has intentionally not allowed any working relationship to emerge. Interprovincial disharmony is at its peak. A consensus cannot emerge in this environment. Thus a necessity like Kalabagh dam is left for one man - a fauji - to decide on. And this is naturally rejected by the smaller provinces.

As long as the Pakistan Army fails to honor the constitution and thereby doesn`t allow the uninterrupted development of democracy, the problem of governance will always remain. Smaller provinces cannot be convinced overnight over the `righteousness` of some issue - particularly if it is related to water - a commodity more precious than 12 billion dollars of foreign exchange reserves. This trust needs to be built. And that can happen only by honoring the Constitution of Pakistan - which is more valuable than any holy book.

As for the Kalabagh Dam. There are indeed many defects of this project. However, to say that `The age of big dams all over the world are over,` is rather naive.

Many anti-big dam folks say that America no longer builds any big dams. They don`t realize that America doesn`t build any more big dams because it has built ALL the big dams it could possibly build! They`ve secured their water supply for ages to come. We haven`t.

China`s Three Gorges Dam Project, currently underway, is set to be fully complete in 2009. It is the largest Dam project in the world.

Again, there is no need to wash away the technically viable aspects of the project with emotional outbursts. However, unfortunately due to the parasitic rulers who usurp the right of the people, emotions are bound to remain supreme and thereby destroy any chances for a viable water conservation project - a project that is more important than any other for the future of a people.

Its what a call a `right project` Kalabagh Dam
but , we in Sind and Baluchistan can not trust our brothers in Punjab specially after the
recent wheat crisis where Punjab Government backed out from her promises - Kalabagh is a good project but in order to built it we need guarantees and quota that whatever happens we will be provided water -
I know I sound like a damn nationalist or something like that but I am not , what we are asking is that we have some reservations about some officers in Punjab Government who with there relatives in Islamabad can break some rules - -