Discord over Thal

AS expected, the decision to go ahead with the construction of the greater Thal canal in Punjab has led to an outpouring of outrage in Sindh. The decision comes at a time when the country is facing one of the most serious water crises in its history, with the Tarbela reservoir reaching its dead level and Mangla soon likely to follow suit. Given this alarming backdrop, the stage is set for another acrimonious row between the country’s two largest provinces. This scenario is both depressing and predictable. Agriculture forms the backbone of Pakistan’s economy and water is obviously an emotive issue. As the lower riparian province, Sindh has always been extremely wary of any major irrigation project in the north. The angry reaction to the construction of the Thal canal is only the most recent example. While Punjab argues that the Thal canal is a flood canal that will only be used from April to mid-October, Sindh sees it as an attempt to divert more water away from the province’s share. It also fears that Punjab could double the canal’s capacity and use the water whenever it pleases. Sindh believes that work on the project had started even before it was approved by the competent authority and a consensus reached. Sindh fears that Punjab could double the canal’s capacity and use its water whenever it pleased. Politicians in Sindh have gone as far as to say that the Thal project is going to be even more disastrous for Sindh’s agriculture than the contentious Kalabagh Dam project.

For over two decades, the row over the proposed Kalabagh Dam had polarized opinion to such an extent that the ambitious project had to be shelved till a consensus on its construction was reached. Certain elements in Sindh have accused vested interests in the largest province of depriving the smaller provinces of their rightful share of water. Punjab, for its part, accuses Sindh of politicizing what is a natural phenomenon and points out that Punjab’s farmers have also suffered badly for want of water. Wranglings over the sharing of water between the two provinces have become increasingly bitter since the water crisis became acute, with still no mutually satisfactory formula thrashed out by Irsa, the authority responsible for water distribution. This deep suspicion has not only put serious strains on the relations between the two provinces but also blocked all avenues for a rational debate on solving the water problem, which ultimately affects the entire country.

In this climate of deep distrust, moderate and sensible voices on both sides have been all but drowned out. In Sindh, the water issue is often hijacked by extremist forces which seek to exploit a very real crisis to promote their narrow agendas. In Punjab and at the federal level, there is an entrenched section among the bureaucracy that is highly insensitive to the grievances of the smaller provinces. There is an urgent need to calm tempers and build trust between the provinces in order to hold a constructive and rational dialogue on the issue. If both sides are able to adopt a more mature and positive approach, there is hope that an acceptable solution can still be found. One way forward is to build a national consensus before launching any future irrigation projects. In turn, any objections about a particular project should be based on solid facts and figures rather than appeals to emotions. In the last resort, it is the national interest, rather than parochial concerns, that should remain paramount.

The car boom

THE demand for brand new cars in the country has risen sharply this year — in some cases by as much as 50 per cent. Given that the country is still in recession and that the war next door in Afghanistan is quite far from over, this is quite pleasantly surprising. Even the clouds of war still hanging over our eastern borders seem not to have deterred Pakistani consumers. The increase in prices, in some cases by as much as Rs 125,000, also stems from the manufacturers’ inability to meet the growing demand. Understandably, this shortage and the easy availability of credit have placed a premium on new cars, with many customers paying more for early delivery.

Unfortunately, like with all positive development, this too has a downside to it. For one thing, while an increase in the demand for a consumer durable like a car unequivocally indicates that consumer confidence is bouncing back, it might also mean that we are heading towards an increasingly consumerist culture. Some might say, and with perhaps some justification, that there is nothing wrong really with this, since people should be able to buy what they can afford. However, this argument can be countered in two ways. First, in an economy like Pakistan’s where foreign investment is shy, domestic savings can be useful in financing domestic investment. Historically, we have not been good savers, compared to countries like India or Malaysia, and this has shown in a low level of investment. The other issue relates to the availability of affordable public transport. While the private sector more than happily caters to the demands of the affluent consumer, the government absolves itself of any responsibility in providing reliable and affordable public transport. And, as usual, it is those from middle- or low-income backgrounds, who have to use our sorry excuse for a public transport network and suffer the most. It is time the government paid some attention to the need for developing urban mass transit systems.

Congo fever aftermath

THE outbreak of suspected Congo fever in the twin cities, first at the Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi and then at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, and especially the death of a young doctor who had been treating a patient with suspected Congo fever, have drawn attention to the inadequacies of public hospitals in the twin cities to deal effectively with an infectious disease. In particular, it has revealed the pathetic standards of hygiene and the almost complete lack of protective equipment for hospital staff. In fact it is highly unprofessional to allow doctors and paramedical staff to handle patients, particularly those with highly contagious diseases like Congo fever, without the protective paraphernalia. Unfortunately, this is the scenario in most of our public hospitals in the twin cities. The excuse often repeated for many public service deficiencies is lack of funds. While this may partly be the reason, what is missing is that bit of extra effort that makes a provider of healthcare efficient and reliable. According to doctors at PIMS, instruments are being re-used without proper sterilization to treat patients at the surgery, dental, and ear, nose and throat departments.

Not only do healthcare workers need protective equipment, they also need to be immunized and inoculated against a whole range of infectious and contagious diseases. In this respect, the exercise to vaccinate house officers in Rawalpindi’s public hospitals against hepatitis-B is a move in the right direction. Much more, however, needs to be done, with regard to providing this vaccination to other healthcare workers as well and in immunizing them against other diseases for which vaccines are available.