KBD only solution to country's major problems: speakers

Kalabagh Dam is the only solution to three major problems of the country including shortage of electricity, shortage of water and devastation caused by floods. Consensus on this issue was developed at a seminar on "Securing Pakistan's Future through Kalabagh Dam" here at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry on Friday.
LCCI President Abdul Basit, former chairmen WAPDA Tariq Hameed and Zafar Mahmood, renowned journalist Najam Sethi, Sohail Lashari, Abdul Hayee Baloch and Salman Najeeb were the key speakers of the seminar. The speakers were of the view that economic growth lies in the generation of hydropower generation which is a cheap source of electricity. The government would have to create consensus for the early construction of water reservoirs.
They said power generation through thermal means would not be doing any service to the trade, industry and economy even if they start producing 50,000MW electricity through furnace oil as it would not be affordable for the businessmen and they would left with no other option but to close down their industrial units.
They said that Kalabagh Dam is the most suitable project as it would not only produce cheap and sufficient electricity but would also avert the human tragedies. They said that approximately Rs 132 billion could be saved annually with the construction of this dam. The government should constitute a team of experts belonging to public and private sectors to convince all the provinces that Kalabagh Dam is necessary for the progress and prosperity of the country.
The experts had already proved that there is no threat to Nowshehra city as it is 150 feet above the water level, they added. They said that Kalabagh Dam was not only beneficial to Punjab alone but it would be more helpful in erasing poverty from Khyber Pakhtunkhawa as it would irrigate 800,000 acres of cultivable land which is located 100-150 feet above the Indus River level in the province.
They said this land could only be brought under cultivation if the river level is raised that is only possible if Kalabagh Dam is built. They were of the view that further delay in reaching a consensus from all stakeholders on the construction of unduly politicised Kalabagh Dam will cost this country and its coming generations very dearly. The experts said that all the stakeholders should show some maturity on the issue of Kalabagh Dam. Unlike Pakistan, India is constructing dams at every possible site. It has left us decades behind and the coming time does not promise any good thing either, they said.
They said that everyone knows that the existing dams are constantly silting up leaving ever decreasing capacity to store water. The construction of Kalabagh Dam along with other new dams is desperately needed to store adequate water. According to a conservative estimate, about 30 million acre feet of water is being wasted into the sea because the country has no big water reservoirs to store it.
One significant aspect connected with the construction of Kalabagh Dam is the surety of sufficient amount of greener and cheaper electricity. Electricity generation through thermal sources is estimated to cost almost Rs 16 per unit whereas the same can be produced at Rs 2.5 to Rs 3 per unit through hydel. They said the present scenario leads to import oil worth over $12 billion a year which is costing us dearly while causing to face insurmountable challenges to remain competitive both in national and international markets.