FAISALABAD: Faisalabad’s business community has welcomed Lahore High Court’s judgment directing the government to start construction of the proposed Kalabagh Dam.
The dam will be built on river Indus and have a generation capacity of 3,600 megawatts (MW) of electricity. The project has been highly debated, cancelled multiple times yet has been deemed a necessity since its inception.
“Kalabagh Dam’s - being a multi-purpose engineering project - construction is in the interest of the country as Pakistan continues to face water issues and the prevailing energy crisis. Therefore, after court’s judgement, any apprehensions, political or otherwise must be resolved with consensus for the earliest construction of the dam,” said president of the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) Mian Zahid Aslam.
No mega-dams were constructed in the country beyond 1974, if bigger dams were completed on schedule, Pakistan could have avoided the crisis and expensive electricity tariffs, he said. Electricity generated from thermal costs Rs22 per unit against Rs1.18
per unit if produced from hydel, Aslam added.
“This has reduced our industrial production to 30%, foreign direct investment, competitiveness in international markets and has increased capital flight,” Aslam said.
Pakistan wastes worth Rs500 billion worth of water annually into the sea, which could be used to irrigate arable land in the country, he said. He said that due to electricity shortages, industries have shut shop and workers made redundant, therefore hampering the wheel of the economy.
Once Kalabagh Dam is completed; Pakistan will not only be able to produce cheap power but also irrigate its lands, increase agricultural production and boost exports. The benefits are endless, he said.
He asked the government to initiate construction of the project on an immediate basis and accelerate work on other hydropower projects to increase the chances of Pakistan’s economic survival.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 1st, 2012.
COMMENTS (6)
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Notwithstanding the merits of the decision, courts have to appreciate that matters relating to the Federation and political issues have to be decided by the political forums. Nowhere in the world courts intervene in such controversial political issues. The Court has not yet said from where will funds come for construction of the dam.
we can let our water wasted in the sea, but if someone want to benefit from it it would be unbearable. best solution of energy crises is to abolish all subsidies of any kind except to those who don't use more than 75 units in off-peak and 25 units in peak hours. everyone else should be charged at original rate plus environment tax of Rs. 7 per unit because thermal power is dirty power [pollutant]. help save the future generation of Pakistan.
I congratulate Chief Juatice Lahore High Court for this bold decision on a most important national issue which is a matter of life or death for the people of Pakistan. The court has done its job which politicians and the past governments could not do in 65 years. They miserably failed in their duties of national importance. Now some people are misguiding the people of Pakistan instead of acting on the orders of the honourable court.SHAME ON THEM. They can get together for their personal benefits but not for the benefit of the country and the people of Pakistan.In fact they are not doing any service to the country by opposing the construction of Kalabagh Dam. A national referendum can be held on this issue if they want to know the views of the people if at all it is necessary otherwise its construction should be started without further delay.
with the current Wapda Chairman who got seat being close alley of AAZ its not 'technically' feasible.
" Rs. 22 pr unit is the cost of electricity produced through thermal resources( fossil fuel)"
The statement appears to be incorrect. . Public pays the Rs. 9.55 per unit of electricity and the subsidy by government is Rs. 3.5 per unit. and it stands to Rs. 13.05 only and not Rs.. 22.00 as alleged/ claimed How a chamber of commerce( FCCI) can say a blatant lie ?
Government should regularly brief citizens about the technical aspects of the Kalabagh Dam.