Agri Forum Pakistan (AFP) Chairman Muhammad Ibrahim Mughal has urged the government to launch immediate construction of Kalabagh Dam as it would benefit economy, agriculture and industry alike and help reducing the price hike. 'Government should construct this dam through domestic resources by setting up a 'Kalabagh Dam Construction Fund' and collect required money through donations.
Transparency should be ensured through out the whole procedure of collection of donations and construction of dam and it should be completed in three years,' Mughal said while talking to newsmen here on Wednesday. Counting benefit of this dam, he said it would help bringing additional 2 million acres of land under irrigation in Sindh, Badin, Thatha and other districts while 800,000 acres of land in Dera Ismail Khan and Bannu in Khybper Pakhtunkhawa. It would also help irrigation of 700,000 acres of land in Balochistan and also provide essential water to Punjab. He said this dam would generate 3,600 mega watt cheaper electricity and electricity consumers would get over Rs 133 billion relief in the bills and it would also help ending loadshedding from the country.