RECENTLY efforts are afoot at claiming more and more water in our western rivers of Indus, Jhelum and Chenab by India due to building of scores of dams on the so-called run of the river basis.

These power generation projects would entail storage of water thus restricting water supply to lower riparian i.e. Pakistan. Meanwhile, all the talk in Pakistan is focussed on energy generation from run-of-the-river projects and canals without any mega-storage dams to bolster our agriculture. It is forgotten that a hydro-electric dam may store water for irrigation while generating power as a by-product at dirt-cheap cost.

We have no concern for developing water storages which is also our problem but Wapda deals with water and power development in tandem.

Unfortunately the government and Wapda have failed to build a single mega hydro electric dam in the past four decades while India forges ahead with building a large number of dams on our rivers with hundreds of dams in the pipeline.

Lately, a resolution is being put up in the Indian “Lok Sabha” that India has a claim on the waters of Chenab as it originates from Himachal Pradesh which is preposterous and ought to be defied.

DR YAQOOB BHATTI Lahore