"If dams are not constructed it will be a massive loss for Sindh and its economy, and even for the country," he said, adding since he belonged to Sindh he would not allow any harm to be caused to the province and Pakistan on this count.
He was addressing a gathering of elected representatives including MPAs belonging to PML, PML-F, Patriots and MQM at the Governor House.
The President emphasised the need for looking into realities vis-à-vis water shortfall openly and futuristically and not in the light of misperceptions created in the past.
Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, PML Secretary General Mushahid Hussain and Corps Commander Lieutenant General Syed Athar were also present.
Besides provincial ministers, Sindh Assembly speaker Muzaffar Hussain Shah, deputy speaker Rahila Tiwana and advisors, some federal ministers, senators and MNAs also attended the meeting.
The President spoke at length about disadvantages emerging in the absence of large dams and also highlighted immense benefits the storage of water would accrue to the people of Sindh, if dams were built in time.
"If at least two to three dams are not constructed by the year 2020, the Sindh province would face water shortage and its farmers would cry for water and there would be no water," he said.
He reminded water "is already short by 9 million acres feet", and by the year 2025 the projected shortage due to silting and increasing requirement would be around 30 million acre-feet.
However, he said the government was also taking remedial actions to save water through its effective management, drip irrigation, etc, which would reduce the shortage to 15-20 MAF by year 2020.
President Musharraf said his policies and plans in the last five years had been in the best national interests, and it was in the same spirit and vision that he was forewarning of dangers that Sindh and its agricultural economy might face due to paucity of water.
The President pointed out having association with Sindh, its interests "are very dear to my heart".
In this regard he recalled days when he was Chief of the Army Staff and on finding low representation of Sindh and Balochistan in the army in 1998, decided for increased percentage of Sindhis' representation in the armed forces.
"Pakistan Army, he said, "is a national institution, and today there are 80,000 Sindhis serving in the armed forces, while 9 to 10 percent army officers hail from Sindh."
He said he keeps himself abreast with the performance of boys joining the army from Sindh and Balochistan.
The President dismissed as absolutely false apprehensions being aired by some quarters on water-related issues and stressed the government was totally sincere in addressing water issues.
In this respect, he recalled a few days back he was in Saudi Arabia in connection with the OIC summit, during which he had the privilege of going inside Khana-e-Kaaba where he prayed to Allah Almighty to bless him with guidance and the strength to take correct decisions for Pakistan and also help him in their implementation.
The President said previous governments rolled the issue under the carpet but the present government "is sincere" in addressing it and has decided to take it up in the interest of the people of Sindh and the entire country.
He told the audience that "these are the realities" which he wanted to convey to them, with the appeal to look into the same with an open mind and by giving up the misperceptions of the past.
He explained if a dam was constructed, its intake capacity would be about 5 to 6 million acre-feet, and water shortage of 15 to 20 million acre-feet clearly means the need for having two to three dams.
By the year 2010, he said, the shortage would be to the extent of 6 million acre-feet while already the Tarbela and Mangla dams capacity has depleted by 4 million acre-feet, which is equal to one dam.
He said that by 2015-20 period, the country would need two to three dams, as no new dam had been constructed in the past 30 years.
He said the world was crying for water and people in many countries "are drinking desalinated water" while many countries like Turkey have built dozens of dams for water storage and power generation.
He said if Pakistan would have three dams, these would generate 15,000mw of power, which can change the destiny of the country.
President Musharraf said that the feasibility of Kalabagh dam is ready and besides this, no other initiative had been taken. He said if the study for Bhasha had been taken up at that time, the dam would have been completed by now.
It was his government, he said, which conducted the study of Bhasha.
He said the present situation is that studies for both Bhasha and Kalabagh dams are ready and that of Akhori dam is under process and would be completed by 2007-08.
After completion of feasibility study, the structural designing would be taken in hand and this, too, might take many years. He said technical designing of Kalabagh dam is already and complete and that of Bhasha is yet to be started, after which only construction work would start which would take 6-8 years to complete.
As regards construction of Bhasha dam, he said, prior to start of construction a 350km long road would have to be constructed to facilitate transportation of heavy machinery through mountains and it would take 3-4 years.
"If work commences on these dams right now, the Kalabagh could be completed by the year 2012; Bhasha in 2014; and Akhori in 2016."
President Musharraf said since Sindh is on the lower end, it sparsely gets water at the tail downstream of Kotri and aside from two canals, the rest are non-perennial, which have water flows for only four to six months and for less than four months downstream of Kotri.
Besides, Sindh has brackish subsoil water as against Punjab, which has 44 MAF sweet subsoil water being used through tubewells.
In contrast, Sindh has no tubewells and has to draw sweet water from rivers and canals.
He rejected arguments being aired by opponents of Kalabagh dam that if reservoirs are constructed, mangroves would get damaged and there would be no backflow of sea water.
"Dams are not consumers of water but they store water which can be released as and when required," he said.
The President recalled that there was no water downstream of Kotri when there was drought, but there would be no such situation when dams were constructed.
He appealed to elected representatives to think about Sindh 15 to 20 years from now and think about its poor people, who heavily depend on agriculture. He told them to project these conditions and have their own look into it.
Having spoken about disadvantages due to non-construction of dams, the President dilated upon benefits Sindh would have from large water storage.
He said Sindh would get 2.2 MAF additional water from the construction of a dam, and would get double the quantity of 4.4 MAF of additional water if two dams were built.
Besides, he said, yet another benefit would be that under 1991 Accord, Sindh would get additional 2.2 percent water, which was curtailed under 1994 Agreement. Besides, all canals would become perennial with the flow of water for all the year.
He said the people of Sindh would have no problem in having water 6 to 8 weeks prior to Rabi and Kharif crops and farmers' grievance in this regard would be addressed.
Similarly, he said, as per international consultants' report, 2.6 MAF water would be required downstream of Kotri for five years, and 25 MAF in any one year during the 5-year period, and the same too would be available after dams are constructed, while Chotiari reservoir in Sindh would also remain full with water.
He also referred to the reports of the Parliamentary and Technical Committees and said both "have recommended construction of dams" including the Kalabagh.
The President has said it is the responsibility of leadership to take the people along on all issues that are in the interest of the country. He told them that they all are leaders in their respective constituencies.
It is the responsibility of people to know the will and aspirations of their people and work for their fulfilment.
However, the President said responsibility of the leadership does not end here and they have to see to it that they do not act against interests of their people.
Through their leadership qualities, they have to change and mould opinion of their people, he said.
Those who do not have this quality cannot be viewed as leaders and if they have this quality, they can effectively lead their people to their sustained betterment in socio-economic fields.
"You are like an engine which carries bogies. If an engine stops, bogies also stop behind them," he told them and requested them to lead their people in the right direction.
The President said he is quite clear in his perception that non-construction of dams will be suicidal for Sindh in agricultural and economic terms.
"If dams are not constructed. Sindh will be the major loser and then Pakistan and if dams are built, Sindh will be the biggest gainer," he remarked and added he would never like to see the province and its people stiffer on this count.
The President declared he would himself appear on KTN TV and also invite opponents of dams to sit and talk with him openly on the issue.
"I want your support. And I want your aggressive support," the President told parliamentarians and said they would have to change the minds of people and say to them that all Kalabagh, Bhasha and Akhori dams have to be constructed.
On the occasion, provincial ministers Dr Hameeda Khuhro, Nadir Akmal Leghari, former minister Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh, Sindh Assembly speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah and MQM's MNA Dr Farooq Sattar also spoke and gave their respective views on the issue of dams.
The President reassured the people of Sindh that whatever guarantee they will need, he would provide them to build up public confidence.
One important feature of Monday's meeting was that no member spoke against the construction of dams but talked about certain apprehensions and need for consensus and confidence-building.
The President informed participants if Kalabagh was constructed, NWFP and Balochistan too would get share of water as envisaged in the 1991 water accord while 650,000 acres of arid land in Bannu, D.I. Khan will also come under cultivation.
In addition, he said, 27,000 acres of land in Punjab and 3000 acres in NWFP will come under cultivation.