LAST week there were ads published in papers inviting tenders for three small dams. To my knowledge, there has been no environmental impact assessment for any of these projects.
It is not acceptable or lawful to push through major infrastructure projects on the assumption that since these projects serve the public good, they should be expedited without the presumed impediment of environmental oversight.
The Pakistan Environmental Protection Act was enacted to protect the public and our natural heritage. The EIA process is neither a hindrance to development nor a bureaucratic formality. It must be enforced.
I was specially amazed to note that one of the dams listed was the Hingol Dam. The proposed Hingol Dam is controversial for many reasons. First, the Hingol River estuary where the dam is sited lies in the Hingol National Park, one of three national parks in Pakistan funded through the Global Environment Facility of the World Bank.
The Hingol National Park is an important habitat for ibex, urial, chinkara gazelle, turtles, marsh crocodiles, variety of marine life and numerous local and migratory birds. Construction of a dam will not only seriously compromise this natural habitat but will also be in violation of the government of Pakistan's agreement with the World Bank.
The Hingol National Park is also the site of one of the most ancient Hindu pilgrimage sites on the subcontinent. The Hinglaj temple site is not architecturally significant but is a unique natural setting identified in prehistory as a sacred place representing a significant event in Hindu mythology.
Hinglaj is sacred to Hindus worldwide and should be treated as a world heritage site. The proposed dam is expected to flood the Hinglaj site.
Lastly, the long-term efficacy of the Hingol Dam is highly questionable. The Hingol River does not have constant or seasonal flows of water. The river is basically a flash flood channel, generating huge fluctuations in its flow. Flash floods in the river bring down considerable amounts of silt which will choke any reservoir in a short time.
The severe floods which damaged the Makran Coastal Highway in 2005 and 2007 left several feet of silt on top of the highway bridge crossing the river. What would be the point of building a barrier to trap vast volumes of silt?
The establishment of the Hingol National Park opened up great opportunities for the approximately 8,000 families that depend on park resources. The park has tremendous potential for eco-tourism and should be promoted to realise it.
The PPP-led government should reconsider the Hingol Dam. It needs to deliver on the environment which was one of the main points in its election manifesto.
ARIF BELGAUMI
Karachi