Speakers at a conference on 'World Water Day' held under the auspices of Institution of Engineers Pakistan (IEP) on Thursday said that unless vision of President Pervez Musharraf to construct five mega dams was materialised there would be a severe shortage of water and power in the country in near future.
While speaking at a conference, Member Water Wapda Chaudhry Muhammad Mushtaq said there were differences on construction of Kalabagh Dam which need to be resolved to embark upon construction of the mega dam project.
Referring to Basha Dam, he said that work was under process on Bhasha Dam and after year 2008 its construction would start. Provincial Minister for Environment Dr Anjum Amjad speaking on the occasion as Chief Guest averred that Pakistan was facing serious water scarcity for agriculture and drinking water.
She said poverty and water scarcity go together. If the present trend of water scarcity continues in our country, the vicious circle of poverty will be applying in geometric way' she pointed.
He said 80 percent of population without access to improved water sources is rural dwellers, but future population growth will be mainly urban, he added. Dr Izhar-ul-Haq a in his address said per capita availability of water had been gradually dwindling in Pakistan from 5,260 cubic meters in 1951 to 11,00 cubic meters in 2006.