It is difficult to distinguish between the truth and false about the Kalabagh dam project. It can be both, but the truth is clear: that to save our future generation from poverty and hunger, construction of water reservoirs is imperative in view of fast depleting water resources of the country.
But the way chosen by Pakistan Muslim League (PML) president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, information minister Sheikh Rashid and parliamentary affairs minister Dr Sher Afgan Niazi to incite passions and sentiments of people of smaller provinces against the Kalabagh dam, particularly the people of Sindh, made it for the President and Prime Minister to create consensus among all stakeholders.
Dr Sher Afgan's remarks that resolutions adopted by Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan assemblies against the construction of Kalabagh dam are unlawful and unconstitutional, and as such these resolutions have no validity.
His remarks, quoting article 144 of the constitution and clause 156 of the rule of the business, led to a constitutional debate, as legislators started quoting constitutional articles to impair the credibility of the government.
A nationalist activist posed a question to Dr Sher Afgan, asking him whether the Pakistan Resolution adopted by the then provincial assembly was unconstitutional? And if the answer is in affirmative than the Sindh assembly and PML leaders should not be proud of it.
Afgan's ignorance about the power generation capacity of the Kalabagh dam could be judged from the fact that he wrongly put it at 3,600mw.
According to experts, it will be only about 800mw, as from June 1 to July 20, the reservoir would be empty and would be on run-of-river. The reservoir emptying and refilling would also take about 45 days. All this will affect power generation. Besides this, the hydraulic head is reduced from 925 to 915 feet that further reduces power generation. For these reasons, a 2,000mw thermal power plant is proposed to be attached to the dam in support of hydropower.
Frankly speaking, it's a strange moment - the moment of creating characters that up to the moment have had no existence and now are getting space on electronic and print media.
Some of them have no knowledge about physical or economic feasibility of Kalabagh, Katzarah and Bhasha dams and other possible water reservoir sites, yet they are out to express their expert opinion, which is creating a lot of confusion. Why can't they wait for parliamentary and technical committees reports?
According to authentic sources, the technical committee raised many points to be consider by the government before undertaking projects of major water reservoirs, which include the presence of geological fault line at Kalabagh and Daud Khel regions.
The geological fault known as "Kalabagh fault and Salt Diaprism" lines are identified in the report of Wapda consultant's volume-3 (Geological Facts) 1983. A very senior official in the water and power ministry also confirmed the presence of geological fault line in the region but who cares.
The Prime Minister, who was here to hold dialogue with the ruling coalition was disappointed by negative signals given by the coalition partners, but at the same time offered to back some other options to overcome water shortage.
The people, irrespective of their party or political association, had formed a united front and moving throughout the province leaving no room for those, who might be assigned to launch a campaign to build consensus in Sindh.
Meanwhile, efforts were being made to organise massive protest march, demonstration and strikes throughout Sindh.