The prestigious Journal National Geographic of May 2015 has reported that Mekong River issuing from Tibet Plateau and passing through six countries including China travels 2,600 miles before emptying in South China Sea. China has built seven mega hydroelectric dams on the river while 21 are under construction. Another 11 new dams are expected along the main stem in Laos and Cambodia. Laos hopes the energy from these dams will make Laos “the battery” of South East Asia. China has built altogether 23,000 large dams on its rivers while we have made only two large dams namely Tarbela and Mangla in the past 4-5 decades. This clearly shows the sorry state of dam construction in Pakistan which has led us to chronic water and power shortage.
It appears the prediction of Yajuj and Majuj coming down from every hill before the last day of judgment as stated in the Holy Quran might be fulfilled in our lifetime if our nation keeps on sleeping all these years without utilising the life giving waters of our rivers that flow down to sea each year thus wasting at least 30 MAF of sweet water while our beauties i.e., rulers sit with their fingers crossed begging for aid from IMF. The sinful crime of rank ingratitude of our water resources would not be forgiven by the Providence, the wide mandate of our rulers notwithstanding. They must use new spectacles to read the writing on the wall that future wars would be fought on water.
DR MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI
Lahore
