"With a view to reduce dependence on very costly thermal power, and saving foreign exchange, it is recommended that Kalabagh Dam Project be implemented without any further delay only as a power project", observed Engineer Barkat Ali Luna, former consultant of World Bank.
At a launching ceremony of his book "Kalabagh Dam-a gold mine for Pakistan" the noted expert proposed the Kalabagh Dam can be constructed as a 'run-of-river' project which would generate 3600 MW of power and would not supply any water for irrigation to any province in view of lack of confidence among them. Luna observed that the Kalabagh as a run-of-river project will maintain the present position of full outflows, below Kotri to Sea. This will give a boost to the economy of Pakistan and substantial relief to its people who have been hit hard by load-shedding of electricity continuing over the last 15 years, he added.
"It should be forcefully explained with facts and figures among the people in Sindh that Sindh will be the maximum gainer if the Kalabagh Dam is built and will be the worst sufferer if it is not," he stated. He said that the real causes of opposition to the building of the Kalabagh Dam should be sorted out and their remedial measures laid out to start implementation of the Project.
He said that many complicated issues in the World have been successfully resolved by conflict resolutions like the Camp David Accord etc. There is no reason that Kalabagh Dam issue may remain unresolved. Luna further said that the Judicial Commission should consist of retired Judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan & the High Courts of all the Provinces. "This Commission may hear all the concerned parties and sort out real issues from the non-issues. Under the present scenario, public at large is confused with the host of non-issues. Once this fog is cleared, the road map for construction of Kalabagh Dam will open up and the nation will be set on the path of progress so vital for the existence of Pakistan."
As per 40 years record, after commissioning of Tarbela dam, more than 30 MAF of water is going to the sea below Kotri Barrage. At an accepted rate of two billion per MAF, Pakistan is dumping sixty billion Dollars into the sea per annum. This is an horrendous loss to the nation.
Luna said that in a visit to Washington in 1963, President Muhammad Ayub Khan impressed upon the World Bank (WB) the need for a Development Plan beyond Tarbela Dam. He said that WAPDA started investigations in 1977 and feasibility reports on Kalabagh dam were prepared twice. Work was completed in 1988. The World Bank has indicated that Kalabagh Dam Project would generate a large amount of low cost hydro-electric power close to major load centres.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017