Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has often stated that Kalabagh dam had become a victim of politics and that he did not allow Bhasha dam to become a victim of politics. This is a strange view as a mega dam is a purely technical issue to be decided by engineers as to its feasibility and cost benefit ratio.
The Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilanihas in fact admitted that inability to build Kalabagh dam in spite of spending over a billion rupees on its feasibility is due to adamancy of some political parties. It devolves on the Prime Minister Gilan to convene a nation wide symposium of engineers of all the country to discuss threadbare the pros and cons of the dam.
The horrible problems of power and water shortage would cripple the economy of our country if a speedy decision is not taken to build Kalabagh dam which would assure water to Central and South Punjab as also DIK which would otherwise convert to desert conditions.
DR MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI
Lahore
