Seminar On Water, Energy Crisis And Solution At LCCI

One million acres feet of water gives benefit two billions dollars annually to economy and in this way while Pakistan is loosing 70 billions dollars annually due to delay in construction of 35 millions acre feet of Kalabagh Dam (KBD)

LAHORE, Sept 20 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Sep, 2017 ) : One million acres feet of water gives benefit two billions Dollars annually to economy and in this way while Pakistan is loosing 70 billions dollars annually due to delay in construction of 35 millions acre feet of Kalabagh Dam (KBD).

It was upshot of the speeches delivered at a seminar on 'Water & Energy Crisis and Solution' here at Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry on Wednesday. They added that KBD was due to be completed in 1993 which means that the delay in its construction had already cost US $ 288 billion to the country.

All the experts agreed that Kalabagh Dam was not just a water reservoir but a flood-savior, an energy-producer and a drought-avoider. They urged the government to start work on this vital dam without any further delay.

LCCI President Abdul Basit said that Kalabagh Dam should have been built soon after the Indus Water Treaty because it was inevitable after loosing the Rivers Ravi and Satluj to India but past governments ignored it completely.

He said that under ground water level had also been gone more than 80 feet below due to plantation of tube-wells in the valleys of Ravi and Satluj.

He said that Kalabagh Dam would store six millions acre feet of water and give benefit of US $ 12 billion annually to the economy.

He added that Bhasha and other dams should also be built but these were not alternative to the Kalabagh Dam as even after Basha and other dams, five districts of KPK including DI Khan, Tank, Bannu, Lakki Marwat and Karak would be facing water scarcity.

Technically only KBD could supply water to these areas. Abdul Basit said that KBD would produce 3600 MW or 31.5 billion watts of electricity that would cost only Rs 2.50 per unit and country would be saving US$ 4 billion annually on account of electricity generation just after five years of KBD construction.

The LCCI President added that KBD would avoid tragedies like Tharparker by giving 2.6 million acre feet of water to Sindh, additional water to Dera Murad Jamali, Sibbi and Dera Bugti of Baluchistan and would also overcome the destruction caused by deadly floods every year.

President Pakistan Engineer Congress Ch. Ghulam Hussain, Amin Jarwar, Muhammad Suleman Khan, Suleman Najeeb Khan, Nisar Safdar, Engineer Sohail Lashari and Col. Abdul Razzak Bugti spoke on the occasion.