A government spokesperson has said that Bhasha dam project is on top priority because it will not only provide water for agriculture and help control floods but also generate low-cost hydel electricity. The impression being given is that all this will happen tomorrow and not in 15 years time when Mangla and Tarbela dams will be on their last legs. As to controlling floods, it will trap only the snow melt from the glaciers. Neither Bhasha nor Tarbela dam can control the floods in Kabul, Chitral, Haro and Soan rivers. They will keep playing havoc in south Punjab and Sindh every year until Kalabagh dam is built. Also Bhasha dam is outside the monsoon range and will not store even a drop of the 30 million acre feet monsoon flows.
ENGR KHURSHID ANWER
Lahore