THE president in a recent meeting with the Japanese ambassador has called for modernising agriculture in Pakistan by incorporating Japanese technology.

Will Japanese technology overcome the prevailing water shortage? Crops can be grown without soil but not without water. For how long will our two water reservoirs keep meeting the ever growing demand with ever decreasing storage capacity?

The issue of water shortage has serious ramifications in terms of agricultural production, agro-based exports, foreign exchange earnings, food inflation, job creation, poverty alleviation, livelihood of the rural population, etc. Small and medium water reservoirs are not enough and Bhasha dam with all its limitations is 15 years away. Only Kalabagh dam can save the 190million people from hunger, thirst and poverty looming over their heads.

KHURSHID ANWER Lahore