The Punjab CM has said that agriculture is the backbone of national economy and has a major share in GDP. He also talks about Dasu dam and building small dams in Punjab. Dasu dam will neither store any water nor will it trap any flood waters, so what relevance does it have to agriculture?
Over 60 small dams have already been built in Punjab and only 19 more locations have been identified, so what relevance does this have to agriculture?
There is no mention of the waters of Kabul, Chitral, Swat, Kurram, Siren, Haro and Soan rivers which are not being stored to provide water for irrigation or for power generation or to control floods. As a result 18 million acre feet of flood waters have swept through Sindh before escaping to the sea in 2013. Much more flood havoc is expected this year.
The people should not be kept in the dark, they must be told the truth. The rural people of Sindh have a right to know why they get flooded out of home and hearth every year and will continue to do so even after Bhasha and Skardu dams are built. They must be told that it is their brothers in the cities who are not allowing these flood waters to be stored in a dam because it is in Punjab as if Punjab will steal all the water from it. Can anything be more foolish? Will the whole country have to pay for this foolishness?
Yes, it will, until the educated people in Sindh start speaking up.
ENGR KHURSHID ANWER
Lahore