01 February 2004	Sunday	09 Zilhaj 1424

ISLAMABAD, Jan 31: Speakers at a national workshop have asked the political leadership of the four provinces and other stakeholders to work out their differences through dialogue for finding an acceptable solution to water-related issues in the larger national interest.

The workshop on 'Water Dams and Development' was organized by the 'Foundation For Progress' in collaboration with the Department of Irrigation and Power, Sindh government, and Ministry of Water and Power. It was attended by parliamentarians from all over the country, officials of Wapda, Irsa and Flood Relief Commission and representatives of various NGOs.

The speakers also called for increasing awareness, providing information and educating masses for better understanding of people on the issues of water and dams.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the workshop, Chairman National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) Daniyal Aziz said it was a good omen that representatives from the provinces and the centre had come together with other stakeholders to discuss and share experiences and suggest ways and means to meet water crisis facing the nation.

He said the NRB had the water issue as one of its priority areas and it would hold a convention of local bodies on the issue in February.

Sindh Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Akmal Leghari said the importance of water and its equitable distribution was known to everyone and in the current global scenario it had also assumed economic implications. He assured the participants that the Sindh government would support the steps being taken to resolve the issues of water and construction of new dams.

Dr M.A. Wajid, the convener of the workshop, said it was recognized that sound management of natural resources, including equitable water resource management, was essential for poverty eradication, economic growth and development.

He said as an instrument of development, water was critical for meeting Pakistan's increasing needs in agriculture, providing energy for badly-needed industrialization, electrification of rural communities, increased urban domestic consumption and tapping water or combating floods and drought.

He said the presence of political representation of all four provinces and the centre in the workshop was a clear indication of the importance of the issue and the willingness on their part to resolve the matter amicably.

The president of International Hydropower Association, UK, Prof Dr Dogan Altinbilek, Dr Khaled M. Toubar of the ministry of President of the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture Syed Qamar Zaman Shah, Deputy Speaker NWFP Assembly Ikramullah Shahid, MPA from Balochistan Sardar Mohammad Azam Khan Musakhel, MPA from Punjab Malik Mohammad Ahmed Khan, MPA from the NWFP Abdul Majid Khan, MNA Malik Amin Aslam and Chief Flood Commissioner I.B. Sheikh made special presentations on the perspectives of the four provinces, centre and the government.

Former Wapda chairman Lt-Gen Zulfiqar Ali Khan (retired) stressed the need for building new water reservoirs on the limited sites available in Pakistan to avoid a disastrous scenario which could come in face due to neglect of the issue.