LAHORE, Jan 7: The Punjab Water Council (PWC) on Wednesday demanded that Punjab should not be deprived of its due share of electricity and the transfer of 700 megawatts to Karachi be stopped immediately.

In a press statement, the council reminded the government that those opposing construction of dams should suffer instead of passing the entire burden of electricity deficit to Punjab.

“The crisis is going to worsen with each passing year as demand for power grows due to economic activity. Today industrial and agriculture production of the country is also at risk. Punjab produces 80 per cent of the agriculture and industrial products. The entire production sector is suffering because of the stubborn attitude of those who opposed development agenda,” read the statement.

As the financial crisis deepens, the council said, the need for energy to run production sectors would become more vital. Today those who opposed the construction of the dams should be ready to face the consequences and Punjab should not be burdened again, it demanded.

It said while seven million acre feet of crucial river supplies were wasted into the sea in the last Kharif, the nation is now suffering 35 per cent of water shortage. The PWC demanded that the government should put political bickering aside and go ahead with the construction of Kalabagh dam and restore the equitable share of electricity to Punjab.