Karachi: Projects to expand storage capacity of existing dams and construction of Kalabagh Dam are indispensable for Pakistan’s future, a news source quoted the Wapda Chairman Lieutenant General Muzammil Hussain. He expressed these views while addressing the Water Round Table Conference held on Wednesday in Lahore.
Hussain dreads that water scarcity can cause an outbreak of civil war in the country in the next decade as it directly affects power generation and food production. He also hinted that an anti-dam lobby is active to influence the donor agency’s decision to provide funds needed for construction of dams.
Talking about the past projects completed by Wapda, Hussain said that the agency has completed mega-projects between 1958 and 1976 in the absence of a planning commission and a ministry for water and power generation.
Hussain believes that increasing the storage capacity of dams is crucial for reducing water shortfall. If only three million hectares out of the 145 million hectares of water that get wasted each year in the absence of enough dams can be saved, the water shortage issue can be addressed, he added.
For the agriculture sector, efficient use of water is also vital; Hussain wants the farmer to make use of modern technology to save water. He also stressed that continuous water supply for the agriculture sector, construction of Diamer-Bhasha, Mohmand and Kalabagh Dam is of utter importance.
