Manifestos of political parties reflect shifting water sector priorities

LAHORE: Water, one of the most important elements for life on earth, draws interesting attention by the main political parties in their general elections-2024 manifestos, shattering status quo.

In its latest manifesto, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), known for opposing construction of large dams, especially Kalabagh Dam, hinted about giving a second thought to the controversial idea of building the dam in Punjab. Time will tell whether it is a result of an introspection, change of heart for the popular politics or a mere election rhetoric about constructing big reservoirs, but this bold move of the PPP at least looks like an attempt of wooing voters in Punjab. Under the heading “Evaluation of Proposed Projects”, the PPP manifesto states: “Prior to proceeding with projects like the Kalabagh Dam (KBD), we will conduct thorough evaluations of their impact on downstream provinces. The welfare of our citizens will guide our decisions.”

Such mentioning of large dams, especially the KBD, never found place in earlier manifestos of the PPP in recent history, since 2002 to be precise. Even the word Kalabagh Dam has been added for the first time to the PPP manifesto. So, this development should be taken as a significant move. The phrasing of sentence itself shows a positive tone albeit in a conditional way.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), however, stops short of mentioning the construction of Kalabagh Dam in its manifesto announced two weeks before the February 8 general elections. Under the heading “Water Security: Lifeline to Productivity”, the PMLN outlines its ‘promises’ for the 2024-2029 period. The party instead termed completion of the under-construction Diamer-Bhasha Dam an urgent priority during 2024-29 in addition to initiating new water storage and hydropower dams for optimal water resource utilization.

As per its manifesto, the PMLN appears to be more focused on establishing a knowledge base for managing what it called one of the world's largest water systems, particularly in the face of climate change challenges.

Contrary to the support announced by other political parties for establishing large water reservoirs in the country, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) shies away from stressing developing mega water storage sites and instead underlined the need for constructing small dams. The party emphasizes utilization of smaller dams and run-of-the-river electric generation to generate renewable energy at the local level. The PTI chooses rainwater-capture dams for meeting irrigation needs of the agriculture sector. In this connection, as per the latest manifesto of PTI, a major program will be launched to incentivize the private sector to finance and build numerous rainwater capture dams. The objective is to increase arable land, enhance food security and promote sustainable agricultural practices. This initiative will stimulate local economies by creating jobs in dam construction and maintenance. Under the head of canals and waterways, the manifesto adds, investing in sustainable land and water management practices is essential. This will promote natural resource conservation and enhance productivity. Simultaneously, improving irrigation services and adopting a holistic approach to managing canal water and groundwater will mitigate environmental degradation and ensure reliable water access for all farmers. A major initiative under this policy is the lining of 73,078 water courses across all provinces within five years. This ambitious project aims to save 9 million acre feet of water, equivalent to the capacity of the Bhasha Dam, and is expected to yield an economic benefit of approximately $3.5 billion.

The PTI also promises to address what it called “the Indus delta crisis”. Under the head of “Balancing Water Usage”, the party manifesto stresses management of the Indus Delta crisis, stemming from over-irrigation and unchecked canal use, on priority.