IT IS right in general saying that agriculture is the mainstay of Pakistans economy. He has spelt out in detail all the benefits that accrue to the country from agriculture as well as the many reasons for its decline. Surprisingly, he did not mention the shortage of water. There is a 24 per cent shortage of water in the Kharif period and up to 40 per cent for the Rabi period. Sindh and Punjab are both up in arms about water shortage. Why this reluctance to talk about shortage of water. Is it because the next question will be why dont we build Kalabagh Dam.

Does the writer know that without the Right Bank Canal at Kalabagh Dam his province will be cut off completely from the Indus and will not get any water from any dam on the Indus, be it Tarbela, Bhasha, Skardu or Katzara. Water by gravity flow from the right bank canal at Kalabagh dam will irrigate 8 lakh acres in DI Khan and cost only Rs 400 per acre per year. Water pumped from Chashma barrage will irrigate less than 3 lakh acres and will cost Rs 5000 per acre per year. Kalabagh Dam will only benefit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and cannot harm it by any stretch of imagination. During the flood season the reservoir level will be 100 feet below Nowshera and 100 miles away from it.

Engr Khurshid Anwer@Islamabad

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