Demand: ‘Kalabagh dam should be included in budget 2018-19’

LAHORE: Kalabagh dam should not be ignored in the federal budget 2018-19 at any cost as water scarcity is heading towards the point of no return, said Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Malik Tahir Javaid in a statement issued on Wednesday.

“Those opposing the Kalabagh Dam are unaware of the ground realities,” added Javaid. “How can a mega water project be harmful for an agrarian country?”

The LCCI president said 1 million acre feet of water gives benefit valued at $2 billion annually to the economy, while Pakistan is throwing away 35 million acre feet of water by delaying construction of the dam. This means that we are wasting $70 billion a year, which is almost equal to the country’s external debt, Javaid added. 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2018.

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