With an expected deepening water crisis, there is a dire need to focus attention towards the stalled Kalabagh dam
RAWALPINDI: With all the apprehensions of the expected deepening water crisis, there is a dire need to focus attention towards the stalled Kalabagh dam. I would convey some of the points by the late engineer Saeed Akhtar Niazi who was one of the greatest proponents of Kalabagh dam.
The Flood of 2010 proved to be a great eyeopener for all those who care to understand that. It carried a clear message for building Kalabagh dam. There are concerns that Kalabagh dam could adversely affect flooding in the Peshawar Valley, including Nowshera town. It is not Kalabagh dam but the Attock gorge which causes submergence in the Nowshera Valley. The gorge causes constriction resulting in the rise of water level in the Nowshera valley that has lesser gradient than the Indus valley. In order to counter the Attock gorge, Munda dam could prove to be quite effective. Additionally, it may also reduce floods in the Swat River. Unfortunately, the project is very expensive. According to Wapda/Cida landmark study of 1984, it is almost the lowest in the ranking list and therefore, not a stand-alone project. Finance-starved nation like Pakistan cannot afford to undertake it when other devices for this purpose are available. However, there is a redeeming feature. Economics of Munda can be somewhat improved if its regulated outflows could be reutilised at a hydrostation downstream. This location cannot be other than Banni Afghan/Kalabagh Dam (KD). Munda and Kalabagh, therefore, present a beautiful combination.
Hence, the leadership of all the provinces ought to fulfil their human and moral obligation to their voters. It is high time that Pakistan utilised its water potential before it is too late.
Zahra Niazi
Published in The Express Tribune, June 14th, 2018.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
