Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry has welcomed a statement by Muttahida Qaumi Movement Chief Altaf Hussain about the construction of the Kalabagh Dam and said he hopes his gesture will pave the way for an early completion.
Lahore Chamber President Ijaz Mumtaz and Standing Committee on Kalabagh Dam Convenor Abdul Basit in a joint statement on Wednesday said, "It is a very good omen for the country that politicians have realised the need of the dam that is inevitable to overcome the water and power shortages in the country. The economic growth lies in the generation of hydro power generation which is a cheap source of electricity. The Kalabagh Dam is the most suitable project for the national economy as it will not only produce cheap and sufficient electricity but also avert human tragedies."
They said, "The dam is a must to control poverty and hunger and those who are opposing the dam are the enemies of this country since they are playing with the country's future. Approximately Rs 132 billion could be saved annually with the dam construction. Experts have already proved that there is no threat to Nowshehra city since it is 150 feet above the water level."
They continued, "The dam is not only beneficial to the Punjab alone but it also to erasing poverty from Khyber Pakhtunkhawa since it could irrigate 800,000 acres of cultivable land that is located 100-150 feet above the Indus River level in the province. This land could only be brought under cultivation if the river level is raised that is only possible if the dam is built. The civil society will have to play a crucial role in creating a larger consensus since new large water reservoirs benefit every Pakistani."
They said stakeholders should show some greater maturity on the dam issue. "It is the high time that all undue stands brushed aside to save the country from that era of darkness. Unlike Pakistan, India is constructing dams at every possible site. It has left us decades behind and coming time does not promise any good thing either."
Lahore Chamber office-holders said, "Everyone knows that the existing dams are constantly silting up leaving ever decreasing capacity to store water. The construction of the Kalabagh Dam along with other new dams is desperately needed to store adequate water. According to a conservative estimate about 35 million acre feet of water is being wasted into the sea because the country has no big water reservoirs to store it. Another significant aspect connected with the construction of the dam is the surety of sufficient amount of electricity at comparatively much cheaper price. The country's dependence on power generated through thermal sources is costing us way too much causing to face insurmountable challenges to remain competitive both in national and international markets."