Kalabagh dam: fabricated figures

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From: Mushtaque Rajpar
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Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2004 01:00:11 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [sindh-politics] Kalabagh dam: fabricated figures


Dear Friends

This letter is in response to letter published in Today Dawn by a Lahori,
Mr. Rafi Nasim.

Kalabagh Dam Project

Dear Editor
Daily Dawn

This has reference with a letter published in Dawn on Thursday, September
02, 2004, entitled "Kalabagh Dam project". Respecting writer's point of
view on a critical issue of constructing large dams in Pakistan, I just
like to correct his given figures regarding flow of water downstream Kotri
into the Sea, which he has presented wrong and fabricated figure of 35 MAF
water going in to the sea. Several news items, published in the mainstream
national newspapers, report above 40 per cent water shortage at Guddu
barrage and Sukkur barrage, how come 35 MAF flows down stream Kotri
barrage? If such a quantum of water flows to sea, why would 2 million acres
of land have come under sea intrusion, and loss of sea mangroves in last 14
years? As a matter of fact we know that there is no water for drinking in
rural and urban areas, how come IRSA became so generous to release 35 MAF
to sea?

Under 1991 Water, Government was bound to conduct a study to determine the
quantum of water to be released downstream Kotri, but unfortunately a 14
years have passed nothing was done, whereas a more a expensive and
controversial Greater Thal Canal's construction was initiated two years ago
costing Rs. 30 billions. Though last month, World Bank, in its latest
report on water projects in Pakistan, has questioned the viability of these
projects, but government turned a deaf ear to the report?

There is misperception in some pro-large-dams circles that only politicians
in Sindh and NWFP oppose the construction of large dams.

People, who oppose construction of large dams, for well-known reasons, are
often blamed for lack of consensus. This is not correct to say that only
politicians in Sindh and NWFP oppose large dams, and that they are to be
blamed for lack of or delay in so called consensus. A considerable number
of irrigation engineers and water experts, along with environmentalists,
have been opposing the construction of large dams in country. Late Mr.
Abdul Rasool Memon, (mind you neither politician nor a landlord), former
chairman of Indus River Authority System (IRSA), questioned the assumed
additional water availability for storage in any dam. He was deprived of
being member of Sindh province in IRSA by a hasty and unnecessary amendment
by former President Farooq Laghari in age limit for IRSA members, putting
age limit to 60 years for a person to be member or chairman of the
authority. Eng. A.N.G. Abbasi, former chief engineer and sitting chairman
of Technical Committee on Water Resources, which is functioning under
Ministry of Power and Water, is known opponent of large dams.

Mr. Abbasi, along with panel of engineers, presented a well-researched
document on historical flow of water in Indus River, that research paper
was funded and published by 'The Reformers', headed by Senator Nisar A.
Memon, then chairman of The Reformers. Senator Memon is now part of ruling
MPL, this writer happened to work with The Reformers (The Reformers was
inaugurated by our late intellectual Iqbal Ahmad, how wrong late Iqbal
Ahmad was in his judgment about The Reformers that it would work for a
genuine reform in country not ending up first as a B-team of General
Musharraf and then joining the ranks of establishment-patronized PML), and
witnessed to staunch opposition of Mr. Memon and Water Committee of The
Reformers, who presented a well-researched document on 'Water Resources in
Pakistan'.

If government has been serious in seeking consensus (not manufacturing and
forcing consensus) on any dam, why it took a year in setting the term and
rules of working of 'Technical Committee on Water Resources' (established
by non else than president Pervez Musharraf himself) If water resources
issue is not be tackled as a political one, why Gen. Pervez Musharraf keeps
on issuing statements on his every visit to Sindh province? Why not to wait
till duly authorized Technical Committee takes into consideration various
reports on water availability. This is a very serious issue to first
determine the exact and correct available water in Indus before going to
construct a 600 billion-mega dam? Independent water experts and engineers
have questioned WAPDA's data regarding additional water in Indus presented.
At a time when, we come across almost every week that existing dams are
reaching to dead level due to shortage of water.

Politics and politicians are being made escape-goat for Government's
failure in achieving consensus on construction of large dams and its
refusal to accept the two federating units collective 'No' to Kala Bagh Dam.

Mushtaque Rajpar
Badar Commercial, DHA, Karachi