Alternatives to Kalabagh dam

Letter February 17, 2016
According to a study, at least 5,000 cusecs of water are required daily throughout the year for the delta to blossom

KANDHKOT: There is no doubt that our country has suffered and is still suffering from water and energy problems but the question is, why is the Kalabagh dam always represented as the only solution to these crises? Before opting for the construction of the Kalabagh dam, there is a need to address the prevailing issues and controversies surrounding water shortage in the country.

According to a study, at least 5,000 cusecs of water are required daily throughout the year for the delta to blossom and thrive while Sindh demands a release of 10maf water post-Kotri barrage annually under the 1991 water accord, but the federal government has failed to provide this. The small or almost no supply of water downstream Kotri terribly impacts Sindh’s agriculture and river ecology and causes sea intrusion, destruction of coastal forests, land degradation and, finally, a virtual death of the Indus delta. The crop season in Sindh sets in earlier than in Punjab and that is why Sindh’s farmers always cry for water in April when reservoirs are being filled upcountry and controversial link canals are opened to divert the waters of the Indus. It cannot be denied that three out of four provincial assemblies have categorically rejected the scheme for the construction of Kalabagh dam. Why, then, is there still an emphasis on the controversial dam? It has been a controversial project since the proposal for the dam was put forth. We must realise that the time and energy we wasted on just focusing on the Kalabagh dam would have been a better investment if we had focused on multiple projects. We may have accomplished much more output than what is depicted with the Kalabagh dam. The question is, why only Kalabagh; why not alternative projects with a full consensus of the provinces?

Raja Ali Raza Kazi

Published in The Express Tribune, February 17th,  2016.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.