LAHORE: Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Monday advocated an early construction of Kalabagh Dam saying that this dam was crucial to cope with the challenges energy shortage, food security, famine and floods.
LCCI President Sheikh Muhammad Arshad, Senior Vice President Almas Hyder and Vice President Nasir Saeed told the media here that in the absence of a mega dam, the country was suffering from a loss of Rs 132 billion annually.
They added that according to experts, there was no threat to Nowshehra city as it was 150 feet above the water level, asserting that historical data indicated that during past 75 years average 146 million acres of water was available per year in River Indus.
The LCCI office-bearers said that all stakeholders should show maturity on the issue, citing that unlike Pakistan, India was constructing dams at every possible site and had left us decades behind.
They said that everyone knows that the existing dams are constantly silting up leaving ever-decreasing capacity to store water.
The construction of the KBD along with other new dams was desperately needed to store adequate water. According to a conservative estimate about 30 million acres feet of water was being wasted into the sea because the country had no big water reservoirs to store it.
More importantly, as a result of melting of glaciers due to global warming, a sword of Damocles remains hanging over our heads in the shape of floods.
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