LAHORE: Two reservoirs on small rivers being planned
By Dawn Report
LAHORE, Aug 9: The Punjab government is planning to construct two water reservoirs on small rivers to overcome the shortage of water in February and March every year.
This was stated by provincial irrigation minister Amer Sultan Cheema at a luncheon ceremony held for the Punjab Assembly's Press Gallery Committee here on Monday. The Punjab faces a deficit of three million acre feet water during peak season of wheat and the situation worsens in case of low rains in catchment areas.
The irrigation department had undertaken 'physical study' of dams at Dhoke Pathan in Chakwal and Sajwal in Jhelum, the minister said. Each project could help store one maf water, besides generating power.
"This will enable us to make up for at least two-thirds of the water shortage faced in peak wheat season." The idea of constructing small dams on rivers was decades old, but work on it could not be undertaken because the province lacked experts in geological study, Mr Cheema said.
With the consent of the chief minister, he said, retired officials from Wapda and Nespak were being hired to meet this requirement. "Small dams have been built on drains and streams. For the first time the government is working on a project of small rivers." The cost of the project would be met through provincial resources.
Answering a question, the minister said the Punjab had agreed to the revival of the 1991 water accord on the condition that it would be implemented in letter and spirit. Under the accord, water will be shared between two major agrarian provinces, the Punjab and Sindh, on an equal basis (37 per cent each), though Punjab has more cultivable land than Sindh's.
Mr Cheema said: "We sacrificed our water share only on the condition that new large water reservoirs will be constructed to meet the shortage to be caused as a result of the accord."
He told a questioner that the last meeting of chief ministers of all the four provinces in Islamabad had reached the consensus that building of large dams was need of the hour.
Now a technical committee would suggest that which dam could be constructed first. A consensus would be developed on its basis after the body would submit its report, he said. Care would be taken that no one was hurt while taking a final decision, he added.
WORK ON DAMS: Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said on Monday all mega water projects, including the Kalabagh and Bhasha dams, should be started simultaneously to avert the impending crisis.
He was talking to journalists at the 30th convention and Annual General Meeting of The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Pakistan at the Wapda Auditorium.
Calling 2004 a decisive year, the CM said the posterity would not forgive us if we failed to take bold and immediate steps right now to avert crisis. Replying to a question which dam could be constructed first, he said it was not important which dam deserved priority but there should be dams at the earliest.
Work on all mega projects, like Bhasha and Kalabagh dams, should be started at the same time, he said. Talking about the water situation in the Punjab, the CM said a comprehensive strategy had already been evolved for better water management in the province.
Earlier, speaking to a gathering of engineers, he lauded the services of the community for the development of the country. He urged the engineers to continue playing their role in the development of Pakistan.
The IEEEP's secretary-general requested the CM to introduce an incentive package for the engineers like the one recently announced for other professionals, including doctors. He also appealed to the chief minister to abolish property tax from the buildings of the IEEEP.
The convention held in three sessions - inaugural, the AGM and technical. During the technical session, engineers presented their papers on imperative subjects of low-cost distribution system, recognition and clearance of faults on distribution transformers, improved performance of public sector entities through technical audit and other allied issues.
