DIY strategy

Instead of squandering precious time and energy in fruitless struggles for our rights – with Indian-held Kashmir and Palestine standing as stark reminders of international inaction – Pakistan must pivot toward decisive, forward-looking solutions. Chief among these is the urgent need to build dams, adopt water-efficient agricultural practices, conserve existing water resources and implement robust measures to combat climate change. Ironically, the Modi government's threat to stop the flow of the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers may serve as a wake-up call. It is time our government treats water scarcity as a national emergency. A project like the Soan Dam exemplifies the kind of smart, cost-effective engineering we need.

As a low-cost carryover dam, it would store floodwaters from the Indus River, generate over 5,000 MW of clean energy, reduce the impact of floods and cost just a third of what the Kalabagh Dam would require. Importantly, it would not need a spillway and would be constructed using earth-fill techniques, making it both economical and efficient. Perhaps the most compelling benefit lies in its environmental impact: silt from the Tarbela Dam reservoir could be redirected through the canal and Haro River back into the Indus. This would breathe new life into the Indus River Delta, halt the advance of seawater intrusion and restore vital ecosystems. Pakistan cannot afford to wait for international sympathy or intervention. Our survival depends on bold, strategic action.

Syed Hussein El-Edroos

Islamabad