Are we mad or just plain ignorant in thinking that the Kalabagh Dam will reduce supplies?
LAHORE: Drought is inevitable if water supplies are not increased. If a supply of 104MAF (million-acre feet) was sufficient to feed a population of 80 million when the Tarbela Dam was commissioned almost four decades ago, the same amount of water cannot possibly be sufficient for today’s population of 190 million.
Are we mad or just plain ignorant in thinking that the Kalabagh Dam will reduce supplies? If the Mangla and Tarbela dams increased supplies from 83MAF to 104MAF, how will a dam at Kalabagh reduce overall water supply? It is the federally-controlled Indus River System Authority which allocates water to the provinces as per their percentage shares. The provinces have no direct control over the supply to their canals and no province on its own can take the water share of another province. The worst culprits are the otherwise knowledgeable columnists who know the truth but will not speak it because they think their readers will not like it. They are quite content in being led by public opinion rather than in moulding public opinion. We, the educated, are least bothered and are content to just sit around and do nothing.
Engr Khurshid Anwer
Published in The Express Tribune, December 21st, 2013.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
