ISLAMABAD, March 12: The urgency of building new reservoirs expeditiously for resolving the water crisis in the country was emphasized by the Ministry for Water and Power here at a briefing for the participants of 76th management course.

The briefing, at which Chairman Indus River System Authority Noor Mohammad Baloch and Federal Flood Commissioner Riaz Ahmed Khan were specially invited, the water issue was discussed in detail, an official said.

Responding to the questions, Secretary Water and Power Hamad Hassan said that Kalabagh dam or other reservoirs would have to be constructed to resolve the water crisis, the source added.

He pointed that the government was firm not to take up the controversial project without first developing a consensus among the federating units.

Responding to questions about Kalabagh dam, Chairman Irsa Noor Mohammad Baloch said that the provinces of NWFP and Sindh had genuine reservations about the dam.

Regarding the objections raised over the Thal Flood Canal, Mr Hassan said that the objections should have been raised at the level of Central Development Working Party (CDWP) and Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec).

He said the project had been cleared by Ecnec with the consent of all the four federating units after addressing the reservation expressed by the Sindh government officials.

The participants of the course would be given a separate briefing by Irsa sometime next week.

The source said that the participants were quite inquisitive about the row between Sindh and Punjab over distribution of water and put up various questions about the interpretation of controversial clause 14(B) of the 1991 Water Accord.