Apropos of the letters to Editor dated 18, 20 and 26 August written by Muhammad Khan Sial from Karachi, on the issue of construction of Kalabagh Dam, it is a pity that no technical expert or advisor from the concerned organizations till to-date contradicted these baseless assertions, which are devoid of any ground realities.
Assuming the moral responsibility for alleviating the wrong perceptions about the issue, I would like to submit following few lines for those, who have an intention to understand the issue in its correct and realistic perspective.
1) Out of 144 million acre feet (MAF) average yearly inflows, being received post Tarbela Dam period, we are dumping on an average around 40 MAF to the Arabian Sea every year during monsoon period of about three-month duration. Another 35-40 MAF seeps through our "Kacha Canal" network, mostly in Punjab and Sindh, partly recharging the groundwater, which is being used through tubewell pumping (using mostly electric power) while the remaining squeezing our sweet water cushions in Sindh, after mixing with underground saline water and also causing water logging and salinity.
It is said that 106 MAF water is being used for irrigation and other purposes.
2) Storage at Mangla, Tarbela and Chashma has since depleted due to sedimentation to the tune of 6.37 MAF. Construction of any new reservoir of the capacity will not add to any additional storage affecting the post Tarbela allocation of water to any province.
3) With ever increasing population and depleting water resources from 5650 cu.meters/capita/year in 1931 to 1350 in 2002, Pakistan will be a 'water short' country in very near future, reaching below 1000 cu.meters per capita level. This is an alarming state of affairs. Every sensible person, including Sial, should work towards the only alternate of arresting the last drop of water being wasted to sea by developing all storage sites in the country. This is need of the hour.
4) During the recent floods, Tarbela has contributed towards flood control by shaving off the flood spike by 231,000 cusecs and Mangla by storing additional 4 feet (1202 to 1206 SPD) in the newly raised reservoir. Munda Dam on Swat River, and Kalabagh Dam on Indus would have saved Nowshera and Sindh from the severity of damage now experienced.
Sial's "three Spates of 300MAF" is a highly misleading figure against an actual of around 50 MAF flowed down of Kotli over and above its normal uses till the end-October. Since the reservoirs are filled just before the end of monsoon, generally in the first 10 days of September, there would have been significant mitigation of havoc now faced by the people living in Indus reaches.
Super (not "Superb") flash floods anywhere in the world do devastate, but by taming the rivers (Tennessee Valley Development in sight), wiser nations have used those "Superb" floods very superbly to their benefits.
5) Construction of Kalabagh Dam is a technical subject. Any reservations, perceptions or apprehensions should be discussed at technical forums rather than at political forums. Technical matters are agreed on ground realities. The mindset of wrong perceptions can be tracked to 'One plus one equals two' decisions in the overall interest of the country and people at large.
6) Biased role of pro-India lobby in Sindh and Yes Man role of KP and Balochistan should now be shunned at least after the lessons learnt during recent floods.
Indus Delta will get better regulated supplies after the construction of Kalabagh Dam. 'Kacha Lands' will also get flooded every year even when 6.1 MAF out of 40 MAF of water is stored in the reservoir.
7) Had Kalabagh Dam been in place, flood devastation (in Sindh and southern Punjab) could have been averted to a greater extent. The Prime Minister was right in assessing the situation.
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