On Bhasha dam

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An anchor on the state TV channel while discussing power shortage on April 27 remarked that Bhasha dam would be completed in six to seven years time. This is a gross misstatement as already five years have elapsed from its first ground breaking in 2006 of which a picture hangs in Chairman WAPDA’s office.

When no alternate route of 135 KM on Kara Koram Highway has so far been built to take heavy machinery to dam site and according to views of a former late Chairman of WAPDA there is no room even for a camp site at the location due to difficult topography, it is not possible to complete the dam in another 10-12 years by which time the country would be doomed by power crisis.

Kalabagh site on the other hand has double the water than Bhasha, which is being kept on the backburner although it could be completed in half of the time than build Bhasha dam. Wisdom demands to initiate the twin dams at the same time to solve our power and water problems.

MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI

Lahore