Kalabagh Dam termed 'win-win project'

Former Chairman Wapda Shamsul Mulk has said that construction of the Kalabagh Dam is a must to overcome the alarming water and power shortage in days to come. Speaking in a PTV programme here on Thursday he said that those who floated the idea of Kalabagh Dam viewed in detail all the associated factors and it was characterised as a win, win project for all.
He said that those who were advocating the construction of small dams in place of Kalabagh dam were actually misguiding the nation. Elaborating the point, he said that there would be a need of constructing 750 small dams instead of Kalabagh only in the areas of water storage adding the small dams were rarely designed for power generation.
He was of the opinion that small dams had their own advantages but they could not be a substitute to mega projects. He said that before the construction of Mangla and Terbela dams, Sindh province was getting 10 million-acre feet during the Rabi season the level, which after the construction of these two reservoirs was raised up to 14.7 maf.
Similarly, he said that with the construction of Kalabagh dam the share of water for that province could further be enhanced. Responding to a question the former WAPDA Chairman said that sustainable pumping capacity of underground water in the country was between 45-50 maf per year adding that limit had already been touched upon.
Further enhancement in the pumping of underground water would be dangerous for the country, he warned. He said in northern parts of the country, the quality of underground water was good but in southern parts that stock was salty.
The ratio of salinity in underground water in Sindh province particularly in Dadu area was double in comparison with seawater, he informed. He said that over pumping of water where its quality was good would attract the saline water to spread underground to fill the gap adding the stock of quality water would thus squeeze.
Responding to another question he said that the world had started to realise the threats of environmental hazards vis-à-vis global warming. He said that that was a big challenge for the entire world hoping the international community would wake up at some stage to save the planet from an imminent destruction.