PESHAWAR Jan 13: PML workers will be briefed about the necessity of building big dams and their positive impact on the country’s socio-economic development, says Minister of State for Overseas Pakistanis Tariq Azim. He was addressing a press conference here on Friday at the Governor’s House after attending a meeting of the PML NWFP that discussed arrangements for the proposed briefing and the visit of President Pervez Musharraf to Swabi and Dera Ismail Khan districts.

Mr Azim, also the PML’s central information secretary, said the briefing would be held in the next 10 to 12 days and would focus on apprising workers about the president’s water besides removing their misgivings and misconceptions about major water reservoirs.

Governor NWFP Khalilur Rehman, State Minister for Water and Power and President of PML NWFP Amir Muqam and Secretary Information NWFP MPA Nighat Yasmeen Orakzai accompanied the state minister on the occasion.

Tariq Azim said the country needed “three to four major water reservoirs” in the next 30 years to meet the water requirement. He clarified no decision had been taken about which dam to be built first.

“Most people are opposing major dams either because of lack of information or misinformation. Technically speaking, the construction of major dams is no big issue. There could be no two opinions on the issue as we are an agrarian country and the constructions of water reservoirs play a vital role in the development of national economy.”

The state minister said the country needed to store at least 40 per cent of the total water resources while the current storage capacity was only 12 per cent and that, too, was reduced to nine per cent because of seepage. He said China stored 41 per cent and India stored 33 per cent water.

He said: “We need more water to meet irrigation needs to feed the increasing population and to cater for the industrial development. We have to rise above provincialism.”

The minister said no dam had been dropped and none had been accorded a priority over any other dam for execution.