A document with title Karachi: early history has been doing the rounds on the internet. It contains three statements which merit some further reflection and I am quoting them below with my own observations regarding their relevance.
1. The 1890s saw the emergence of Punjab as the granary of India and Karachi became the regions principal outlet.
This was when the worlds biggest irrigation network of barrages and canals was being built in Punjab.
2. By 1914, Karachi had become the largest grain exporting port of the British Empire.
This was because Punjab, besides producing huge surpluses for export, had also become the bread basket for the whole country. The smaller East Punjab is continuing in that role, but the bigger West Punjab cannot feed even itself.
3. With the opening of the Sukkur Barrage in Northern Sindh in 1932, the city saw another boom.
If one barrage, which could not even store water but only distribute what was in the river, bring about a boom, what could a dam not achieve by storing and saving surplus flood water for use all through the year.
We need to ponder on the above with an open mind.
KHURSHID ANWAR
Lahore
