Agri Forum Pakistan has urged the government to present Kalabagh Dam, Munda Dam and Bhasha Dam projects in the Council of Common Interest (CCI) and start working on priority basis on that dam, which can be built at the earliest, generate maximum electricity and provide greater resistance against devastation of floods.
Agri Forum Pakistan Chairman Muhammad Ibrahim Mughal in a statement issued here on Friday said that the government should consult local and foreign engineers on all these three dams and start working on that dam which could be built at the earliest, could store more water and generate cheaper electricity. He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was making efforts to construct Munda Dam to save Charsaddah and adjoining areas then why not Kalabagh Dam be constructed to save whole Southern Punjab, Dera Ismail Khan and other areas. He questioned if there is no need for approval of CCI on Munda Dam then why it is needed in case of Kalabagh Dam?
Ibrahim Mughal said that worst ever flood of Pakistan history which played havoc in 2012 was due to River Kabul, Swat, Chitral and Swan. He said Bhasha Dam could not stop even a single drop of water of these four rivers, so the government should take other steps to save Southern Punjab and other areas such as construction of Kalabagh Dam. Counting the benefits of Kalabagh Dam, Agri Forum Pakistan Chief said that it would generate cheaper electricity thus reducing the burden of Rs 131 from the poor and common people in shape of reduction in power bills.