Pakistan

Kalabagh Dam a must but with consensus

Limited usage of air-conditioners stressed for tackling power crisis.

June 25, 2011

LAHORE:

Federal Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim has said Kalabagh Dam must be constructed but after evolving a consensus among all provinces.

He was talking to the media after attending an inauguration ceremony of “Advisory centre for technology upgrading in industries”, organised by the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Saturday.

Fahim said the water and power ministry was striving for early execution of big and small hydropower projects besides focusing on short-term solutions like electricity imports. “All the provinces must evolve consensus on the construction of highly-politicised dam at Kalabagh,” he said.

Pakistan, he added, had effectively been taking up water issue with India, including Indian Baglihar Dam. He, however, was of the view that there should be national realisation of power crisis and insisted “we should reduce usage of luxury electrical appliances including air-conditioners, as it will help cut power outages.”

About his wife’s alleged links with National Insurance Company Limited (NICL), he stressed that he and his family had no hand in the NICL scam. According to the Sindh High Court’s ruling, it was a matter of private property and both parties had resolved it amicably, he said.

Earlier at the ceremony, Fahim, while praising the business community and the commerce ministry for achieving the export target, said a meeting of the Export Development Fund would be held on June 29.

He said the energy crisis could not be overcome overnight, as hydel projects would take a lot of time and finances for commissioning.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 26^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (3)

M.AKRAM KHAN NIAZI | 13 years ago | Reply “ Floods in Pakistan: A result of Victimization of Kalabagh Dam and Punjab”. With the large number of deaths and destruction due to floods, continuous shortage of electricity in the country and continuous shortage of water at the time of need in rest of year has made the lives of people of Pakistan completely intoleratable. Now every one has started questioning the role of state and governments for bringing their lives in such a miserable condition, therefore it is necessary to analyze the root causes for all these miseries and painful condition from which people of Pakistan are suffering. Preservation and storage of water in Kalabagh Dam will increase agriculture land,generation of electricity ,and will prevent wastage of sweet water and fertile sand in the sea . Advanced nations of the world are recycling and treating drain water for reuse while politician and Government of Sind is wasting and polluting sweet water into the sea. USA and India have large number of rivers and fresh water reservoirs but instead of wasting their water in sea they are using saline water of sea for agriculture and other purposes but we Pakistanies have just one river and even then we are wasting that one by the foolish politicians and Government of Sind. Israel and Saudi Arabia are using water of Sea by desalination for their use so much that sea is drying and drying day by day but we Pakistanis are wasting our sweet water into sea what a unique type of crime and foolish act. Only by taking out water from sea can stop sea intrusion and by discarding more and more sweet water into sea will aggravate the problem of so called sea intrusion. Conclusion: It is the responsibility of international community (USA,EU,UK,India,China and other neighbor countries) to persuade government of Pakistan to take care of its people and make dams and flood control projects for countering shortage of water and electricity otherwise foolish rulers of Pakistan will always remain sitting by keeping their hands over hands in their foolish paradise waiting for centuries for consensus building for Dams in the presence of pus and poision of provincialism and like beggars themselves will do nothing and suffering of people of Pakistan will continue forever along with floods, poverty, illiteracy, darkness, Corruption, provincialism, ethnocentriosm, terrorism and extremism.

Rana Umair | 13 years ago | Reply it must be constructed

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