THE water stored in dams and barrages comes from the melting of glaciers in the northern regions of Pakistan and India.

How many people know that the US has dams with a capacity to store water for up to 900 days, India has 200 days while in Pakistan it is only 30 days.

The storage capacity of Mangla and Tarbela dams and Chasma barrage has been reduced due to silt. India according to the Indus Water Treaty has the right to use the waters being wasted by Pakistan due to lack of storage facilities.

Agricultural lands on the east bank of the river Indus in Sindh are left dry owing to very few irrigation canals. More than 30 million acre-feet of water flows into the sea without being of any use to anyone owing to lack of storage capacity. There is poor flood control management resulting in loss of lives, damage to houses, agricultural crops, livestock, roads and bridges.

A major public awareness effort is needed to explain the pros and cons of building dams to the public. I feel the time is ripe to revisit the Kalabagh dam issue. A referendum should be held on the matter. If the majority votes yes, in a few years they should see its benefits. If they vote no, then there the matter will rest.

Syed Hussein El-Edroos

Islamabad

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2015

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