LAHORE: Pakistan should build the Kalabagh dam and evolve long term planning to build more mega water storages in the country to avoid future water and food shortage. The Kalabagh dam is technically executable and a referendum should be held on it to end political confrontation on it. These views were expressed by experts on “Flood destruction – is the Kalabagh dam unavoidable?” in the Jang Economic Session here on Tuesday. The panelists included Dr Izhar-ul-Haq, Sahibzada Khan, Muhammad Riaz Khan, Sohail Lashari, Rabia Sultan, Dr Javaria Qais and Iftikharul-Haq while it was hosted by Sikindar Lodhi. Dr Izhar-ul-Haq said that 80 percent water could be stored in Pakistan which emerged after rains and glacier melting in just 90 days while in the remaining 265 days water was not available. He said due to shortage of storage dams in Pakistan annually huge losses occurred after floods. He said the Kalabagh dam could store 6.1 million acre feet (MAF) while glaciers and rainwater could be stored in it while the Kabul river water could also be used. He said the water storage capacity of Mangla and Terbela was rapidly depleting and it was the need of the hour to construct Kalabagh, Dasu and Bahsha dams. He said the Kalabagh dam was 260 feet high with construction cost of $110 billion and it could be constructed by local engineers. “If a water treaty among the provinces can be signed in 1991, then the Kalabagh dam can also built after political consensus,” he added. Sahibzada Khan said the construction of dams should be focused. He said both KP and Sindh would benefit from the Kalabagh dam. He called for other water storages and remodelling of barrages to preserve water for next generation. He said water storages could store flood water and use it for drought-hit areas of Pakistan. He said Sri Lanka did not waste a drop of water while Pakistan was wasting 35 MAF water annually. Muhammad Riaz Khan said monsoon in Pakistan would continue with different rainfall intervals to keep flood threats alive while new water storages were the only solution to it. He said different federal and provincial departments were busy at relief activities to control flood destruction. Sohail Lashari said that Pakistan’s economy was facing $36 billion loss due to water wastage annually. He said, “Every government knows the importance of the Kalabagh dam and the public should raise voice for the construction of it to save the future of the nation by preserving water to avoid starvation,” he added. He said water reservoirs were rapidly depleting in Pakistan which would increase water scarcity in future. He said the Kalabagh dam would store rainwater to reduce floods and create employment opportunities. Rabia Sultan said that thousands of lives had been lost to floods during the last five years. She said successive governments did not pay heed to control floods despite knowing destruction. She said the Kalabagh dam was not new, rather it was conceptualised even before the Terbela dam. “Unfortunately, it was politicised while not a single technical expert of the world has opposed its construction due to its natural site,” she added. Javaria Qaias said that floods had increased in Pakistan due to global warming. She said both federal and provincial governments should take necessary steps to minimise destruction. She said disaster management should start before floods, not after floods. Iftikharul-Haq said the unavailability of water storage dams and lack of upgradation of barrages were causing floods due to which the importance of the Kalabagh dam had increased. He said the dam had been ignored only due to political reasons. He said water shortages and floods could not be controlled without building new dams.
