New dams imperative for Pakistan’s food security: FCCI

FAISALABAD: New major water reservoirs are imperative to ensure food security of Pakistan and necessary steps are required to immediately start the construction of new dams without any further delay. Chairing a meeting of the executive committee, Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) president Shabbir Hussain Chawla said, “A benchmark of 120 days water storage was necessary globally for any country but we have the storing capacity of only 30 days.” He said no new water reservoir had been built during the last two to three decades whereas the sedimentation of silt has further reduced the storing capacity of existing reservoirs. “Pakistan is basically an agriculture country and its economy is entirely depended on availability of water.” The FCCI president expressed concern that India is constructing dams on the rivers which were allocated to Pakistan under the Indus Water Treaty. According to available statistics, Pakistan will become water starved country by the year 2025, if news dams were not constructed to store the available water resources. In order to avoid drought, we must increase our water storage capacity on war footings. It is very surprising that previous governments had failed to give due importance to this issue of prime national importance, he added. Chawla criticised the politicians who are intentionally or unintentionally opposing the construction of new dams despite of the increasing shortage of water which has posed a serious threat to the solidarity and integrity of Pakistan. He said construction of dams by India should be an eye-opener for us and all patriotic people should raise their voice in this regard. The executive committee of the FCCI also adopted a unanimous resolution for immediate construction of new water reservoirs.