Concerns over mega water projects

The opponents of mega dams have been arguing for long that there is no water available for such projects: there is not enough water to fill even the present dams - Tarbela and Mangla - however silted they are. How wise is it then to spend billions of dollars on new dams that are to remain empty for four out of five or 80 out of 100 years?

The oft-repeated argument in favour of new dams is the so-called wastage of water below Kotri. The calculation of the 'wastage' is based on the super flood years that occur once in five to 10 years.

For most of the time no water is allowed below Kotri causing colossal damage in human, economic and environmental terms. Also that not all the rains that cause super floods occur in the catchment areas of the proposed dams. Do we have any plans to store the rainwater of Badin in the reservoirs at Kalabagh or Bhasha?

An important point to consider is that in recent years 96-104 maf of water has been acknowledged in the system as against 117.35 maf of water distributed under the 1991 Water Accord.

It means we already are facing a shortage of over 12 maf in the system. Can one imagine how precarious the situation would become if the required water below Kotri, the Indian share in the eastern and western rivers, present and future system losses and the losses due to any dams on the Kabul River are accounted for?

And what of the water losses that will occur after the construction of a big dam? Please note that system losses rose from 6.9 maf post-Mangla Dam to 16.2 maf post-Tarbela Dam. Can we afford such losses when we need almost every cusec of water?

One can't comprehend why we don't listen to experts who tell us of alternatives that are less costly and more beneficial than the proposed mega dams. Why don't we heed the World Commission on Dams' word of caution against big dams that are losing favour the world over as EU, the USA, China, Japan, Spain and others are rethinking and reversing their past policies? Anyone still unsure needs to study the International Rivers Network report on the subject titled Beyond Dams: Options and Alternatives.

Why do we want to squander away our resources on projects that are controversial and divisive and would surely prove disastrous to the economy and the unity and integrity of the country? Why can't we instead spend on education, health, human services, infrastructure development and alternative water projects that would make us sure winners?

AZIZ NAREJO

Via email

S. Asian economic union

Kuldip Nayar's piece on "Kashmir: India's basic position" reflects India's limitations in talking with Pakistan on Kashmir. With regard to the status of Jammu and Kashmir, however, it notes the shift in the Indian position from Jawaharlal Nehru's refusal to talk on Kashmir with Pakistan in 1961 to the Shimla agreement in 1972 when the disputed nature of the state was recognized by India.

The need for a final settlement of the issue was recognized in the Vajpayee-Musharraf joint statement in January. Kuldip Nayar feels that it is still not possible for any Indian government to accept Jammu and Kashmir state as outside the Indian Union as its constitution considers the state its part.

His conclusion, therefore, is that the dispute can be resolved by enhancing people-to-people contact between the two countries. He concludes: "One way out is people-to-people contact, not only through easy visas but also through free trade.

Both countries should become a single economic bloc (with Bangladesh added) so that the ties of trade and commerce develop into ties of interdependence and friendship. Once the peoples of the two countries come to have an equation of that level Kashmir will be automatically solved".

Considering that Pakistan cannot get Kashmir by force of arms nor is the international community (even the UN) ready to intervene in a way that could solve the Kashmir dispute, it seems advisable that the three parties, Pakistan, India and Kashmir, should work together to become an economic union (with Bangladesh added as suggested by Kuldip Nayar) with the ultimate aim of making the subcontinent a political union as well.

It may be called the name of South Asian Union to avoid emotional reservations. Subsequently, Nepal and Bhutan can be called upon to join it.

LATIF QURESHI

Lahore

No troops for Iraq

This is with reference to Mr Javed Jabbar's article "No troops for Iraq" (Dawn, August 2). I fully endorse the views of the writer, who reflects the desire and will of majority of the Pakistanis by not endorsing any kind of overt or covert effort of the government seeking to justify the deployment of our forces in Iraq.

Had our government categorically stated that it would not dispatch its troops a bit earlier, the lives of two innocent Pakistanis would have been saved. The statement of the prime minister and that of the spokesman of the Foreign Office that "Pakistan has not yet decided to send Pakistani troops to Iraq" was the main reason prompting the savaged beheading of our nationals.

Amazingly, against the will and popular support of the people of this country, the information minister and the spokesman for the Foreign Office continue to debate the question of sending forces to Iraq, saying that a decision would be taken with the consent of parliament and the people of Pakistan.

By the way, one may ask the question as to what method the government has to assess the verdict of the people on this issue? Who is going to determine and in what way assess as to whether the people of Pakistan support the government's decision to go ahead with the dispatching of our forces to Iraq or otherwise?

We are being used by the Americans for furthering their vested interests. Sending troops would severely damage our standing in the world community and we would be seen as a stooge of the US.

The cost of sending troops to Iraq would be too heavy for this nation. We will continue to pay for this for many years as we witness now in the context of Afghanistan, where we are harvesting what we sowed years ago.

Let us show to the international community that we are not weaker than Malaysia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Algeria and Tunisia, which have outrightly refused to send troops to Iraq.

M.S. UPPAL

Karachi

Drop-box visas

Genuine travellers to foreign countries have to suffer a lot of inconvenience and pay huge sums of money for visa related charges through the system of drop box facility that many embassies now use to process visa applications.

One wonders whose convenience this facility serves and why one has to pay so much in extra courier charges. People have to go to the courier office and line up in long queues to deposit their application. This exercise involves standing in the street, exposed to sun and heat, often for over an hour.

Then again, they have to undergo the same ordeal when they go back to collect their passports and to see whether a visa is affixed or not. The whole system of the drop box facility is faulted since it is not just a matter of putting one's application in a box and having it returned by courier to one's home.

It is more like a camp office for the embassy concerned. If that is the case, why should we pay for the extra courier charges that are levied on us? Do Pakistani embassies abroad have a similar system in place?

ALI ASHRAF KHAN

Karachi

Weird structures

A number of organizations in a bid to gain visibility have taken to erecting structures at traffic roundabouts in Karachi, in complete disregard of aesthetic sense and traffic rules.

In the West, billboards and sculptures at roundabouts are avoided where two roads intersect as it hampers the flow of traffic. A small intersection is usually built where three or more roads converge. Even on these roundabouts, high structures are not permitted to be built.

I suggest that the city government should do away with roundabouts where two roads meet and also decrease the size of these so that the flow of traffic is eased. It is a pity that some of the structures erected at these roundabouts turn into poster pastings and slogan writing objects.

The city government is requested to take effective measures to stop this form of cheap publicity by business concerns and NGOs. It would be better to ask them to invest in the development of parks and in recreational ventures than to erect weird structures which once built, are not maintained.

BAHAR ALI KHAN

Karachi

Obstinacy

Jay Rockefeller, a member of the US Senate Intelligence Committee, observed: "Had Congress known what it knows now, it would not have authorized the war on Iraq."

This observation was based on the conclusion of the committee, which found no evidence weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in the possession of Saddam Hussein, and no plans of manufacturing such weapons either and no operational ties between Iraq and Al Qaeda. These imaginary reasons led President Bush to wage a war on Iraq.

Against the findings of the committee President Bush defiantly defended the invasion of Iraq, saying the attack was "the right decision", holding out hope that the WMDs may yet be found there. "Knowing what I know today, we still would have gone on into Iraq."

It is worth paying attention to what Laurence Sterne (1713- 68) said about perseverance in a good cause and obstinacy in a bad one.

PROF (Dr) P. NASIR

Gujrat

War on terror

This is with reference to the news report 'Pakistan winning war on terror: Musharraf' (August 5). The two assassination attempts on the president, one on the corps commander, one on the Balochistan chief minister and one on the future prime minister make one wonder if we are really winning the war on terror.

It needs to be realized that merely cracking down on extremist religious groups or the military operation in Wana or in any other region will not solve the problem of terrorism.

In our society the root cause of terrorism is poverty, illiteracy and indoctrination of minds by religious figures who have affiliation with extremist groups that breed terrorism.

Unfortunately, despite huge foreign reserves the benefits have not trickled down to the common man and the result is that poverty and unemployment are on the rise.

President Musharraf has emphasized on 'enlightened moderation' but failed to take concrete steps towards achieving this goal. Enlightenment of a nation can take place by increasing the literacy rate and not by production of missiles and other weapons.

Unfortunately, the president has not increased the budget allocated for education. The result is that good education is beyond the reach of ordinary citizens and they are compelled to send their children to madressahs where they are indoctrinated and develop a hatred for people belonging to other sects and develop a narrow-minded attitude in life.

It must also be realized that terrorism should not merely include assassination attempts or bomb blasts carried out by extremist groups. Anything which creates terror in society should be included in the definition of terrorism.

Honour killing should also be seen as an act of terrorism as it creates terror among women. Incidents of rape and acid-throwing are also on the rise. It is hoped that the president also wages a war against such crimes.

ANIL KHAN LUNI

Karachi

Crocodiles in Haleji

This has reference to the letter by Syed Faraz (August 9) about crocodiles deserting the Haleji lake. The lake is the best marsh crocodile sanctuary in the country, where the reptiles have lived and bred for years. They have never starved on account of lack of fish nor are they in any danger of facing a drought.

Haleji is an ideal fresh water home, where crocodiles breed in captivity and in the wild on an island nicknamed 'Crocodile Island'. Crocodiles desert their habitat if they starve, or find the water too warm, shallow or overcrowded. They will move out only if they have an alternative habitat close by. That is not the case here.

Haleji does have less water than it used to. That is due to reduced inflow from the Indus, in Keenjhar and in the canal that replenishes fresh water in Haleji. However, for crocodiles it is plenty.

DR A. A. QURESHY

Karachi

Working out sales tax

The Ptcl and the gas company provide certain facilities in the shape of telephone line, CLI (caller's identification) and meter, which are rented out to consumers who are required to pay a fixed monthly rent.

As far as I can understand it, sales tax is levied on the items purchased by the customer. It is, therefore, not understood as to why the PTCL and the gas company include rent while working out the sales tax. By the same token, those who have rented properties should also be paying sales tax on the rent they give to the owner.

The CBR and both the agencies should clarify and refund/ adjust the overcharged amount.

KHAN A. SHAMSHAD

Karachi

Displacing people

I want to draw the attention of the authorities concerned to the construction of an underpass at Committee Chowk, Rawalpindi. This will adversely affect the lives of hundreds of families dependent on the income raised from the shops or houses located in that area.

If all these shops and houses were demolished, nothing will be left for these people to live by. They will have no place to go and no income to feed their children. The people living in this area are not against the underpass, but they want due compensation according to the market rate or alternative space to start their new work.

AFFECTED

Rawalpindi

Planetarium

This has reference to various news items appearing in your newspaper regarding the PIA planetarium. It indeed is shocking that a fine educational-cum-entertainment centre is planned to be destroyed just because the Export Promotion Bureau is acting like a land grabber. It is reported that it has no utilization for the vast land lying barren in its possession, but is bent upon having it.

On the other hand, the logic advanced by PIA that it is incurring a loss of Rs50,000 on running the planetarium is also not tenable. This amount is not even peanuts compared to the tens of millions of rupees spent on its scouting and sports set-up. If it has to effect savings it should wind up its scouting activities rather than deprive our children of an educative institution like the planetarium.

S. ZAMAN

Karachi

Use of force

"A goverment which uses force to maintain its rule teaches the oppressed to use force to oppose it." -Nelson Mandela

MUSTAFA MAHESAR

Via email

Speed-breakers

According to reports, the Sindh chief minister has placed a ban on the building of speed-breakers and has ordered those already made without proper specifications to be removed.

While it is true that some of these unauthorized speed-breakers are difficult to negotiate, removing them en masse is bound to increase cases of rash driving. At least roads in front of and around educational institutions should have speed-breakers.

A.A. GOHAR KHAN

Ghotki

Soldiers' bodies

I refer to a news item (Dawn, July 27) that India wants to hand over the bodies of the Pakistani soldiers who died in the May 1999 conflict in Kargil. The bodies are unclaimed and are buried unhonoured in the Kargil mountains.

Pakistani soldiers who fought so bravely and gave their lives merit recognition by the people of Pakistan. The Pakistan Army should bring back the remains of these soldiers so that they are buried here with full military honours and their relatives are able to pay their last respects.

These forgotten soldiers are not dead but immortal and their names should be written in golden letters in the history of Pakistan. A suitable tomb should be built in Iqbal Park, Lahore, in memory of these unknown poor Pakistani soldiers. The future generation must know that if a soldier is dies while defending his country, he is honoured after death.

KHALID M. KHAN

Karachi

Date palm fiasco

About two decades ago an Arab shaikh built a palace in Karachi's Defence Society. He was advised by his landscape expert to plant date palms to give it an ethnic touch.

The shaikh ordered adult date palms to be shipped to Karachi. When the trees were planted, they failed to grow and were later discarded. This exercise, however, enriched the coffers of a few foreign companies.

Recently a similar situation emerged when hundreds of date palms were transported from interior Sindh to be planted in areas of Defence and Clifton. One cannot imagine the colossal expenses incurred in uprooting, loading on trailers and replanting on the site with cranes. The end-result being that the trees have lost their leaves, exposing their unsightly trunks which gather dust.

It would have been wise for the department concerned to consult the horticultural society or other sources for feasibility before embarking on such a misadventure. Now the authorities are requested to remove the dead wood and plant other trees which are in harmony with the ecology of coastal areas.

RAFI ADAMJEE

Karachi

Salaam Pakistan

Celebrations in connection with our 57th independence day are in full swing. The electronic media, or to be more precise, Pakistan Television, frequently telecasts salutary endorsements by celebrities from different fields throughout its transmission.

The theme of each message highlights the importance of Independence Day and ends with the slogan 'Salaam Pakistan'. This reminds me of an FM channel which used to start out and punctuate their broadcasts with "Assalam-o-Alaikum Pakistan". So originally it was an idea conceived by a radio station and PTV has copied this after a bit of modification.

RAFAT MAHMOOD ANSARI

Islamabad