It is said that the Second World War was in fact won by the Grand Cooli dam in USA which made it possible to manufacture aluminum due to cheap power. This enabled the USA to make several hundreds of airplanes that tilted the balance against Germany by playing havoc in its cities caused by massive carpet bombing. This shows the power of cheap energy to decide the fate of war. We in Pakistan scarcely realize that cheap energy produced by a hydroelectric dam is the key to economic progress of a nation in peace as well as war. The wizards of our successive governments are deaf and dumb in this regard so as to push Pakistan in dark ages. The progress of a nation is measured in the modern would by the quantum of energy used by it. When we see that about half of the time there is load shedding the result is closure of industries and large scale unemployment. Therefore, when it is said in the developed world “stupid it is economy” we can say in our case “stupid it is hydro power” to keep afloat economically.
DR MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI
Lahore
Roosevelt pulled US out of its worst recession by establishing the Tennessee Valley Authority. Seven dams were built on Tennessee River providing jobs to thousands of the job-less poor, also electricity for industry and water for agriculture. Wapda was established on the lines of TVA, hence the Wapda Vision of seven dams on the Indus. Why we stopped after building only two dams is because of the unscrupulous political leaders who played politics with an issue of such national importance putting false fears in people's heads.
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