Punjab Assembly: MP calls for immediate construction of Kalabagh Dam

Suggests all parties conference to evolve consensus

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Hina Pervaiz Butt has said the construction of Kalabagh Dam is crucial in the backdrop of increasing electricity tariffs.

She submitted a resolution in the Punjab Assembly on Saturday and demanded the immediate construction of the dam. In the resolution, she suggested that an all parties conference should be called to raise consensus among different political party over this critically important mega project.

She said that India has recently inaugurated the world's second largest water reservoir but in Pakistan, all political parties were doing politics on an extremely important project. Butt underlined that if Pakistan constructed big water reservoirs, including Kalabagh Dam, there would be a green revolution in the country, otherwise the country would face a huge water shortage by 2025. She asked all political parties to develop consensus on the immediate construction of Kalabagh, Diamir, Bhasha, Mahmand, Akhori, Bonji, Kuram Tangi, Munda, Dasu and other small dams in the country.

In her resolution, she said that as all political parties were brought on the same page against terrorism in the country the government should call an all parties conference for an immediate construction of these water reservoirs.

According to an estimate if the dam is constructed it will produce 3,600 megawatts or 31.5 billion watts of electricity that would cost only Rs2.50 per unit and the country would save $4 billion every year on account of electricity generation just after five years of the dam's construction.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 24^th, 2017.