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Essay
Kalabagh Dam
The project
of Kalabagh Dam was launched in 1984 during the military regime of General
Zia-ul-Haque. It was planned to complete in 1994. The estimated cost was about
4.9 billion dollars. Although still in shelf huge sums of money 1.3 billion
rupees have already been spent on it.
As with all
anti people projects this scheme too is surrounded by bundles of lies and
misinformation. The myths that surround this dam are as under:
(i)
River Indus is over flowing with extra water which can be obtained via dams.
This is absolutely wrong, because there is no extra water in Indus, delta
region of Sindh is already facing disaster. The sole purpose of this project is
to divert the natural flow of water to some specified areas of Punjab.
(ii)
It is being stated by WAPDA that the storage capacity of Kalabagh Dam would be
6.7 MAF. However this too is a myth. The reality is that a part from storing
6.7 MAF of Indus water a further 12.8 MAF water will be diverted left and right
bank canals to facilitate irrigation in Mianwali, Khushab, Jehlum and Dera
Ismaeel Khan districts of Punjab. Hence a total of about 19.5 MAF of Indus
water will be taken away.
(iii)
It is also argued that Kalabagh Dam will generate surplus electricity which
will add to the national prosperity. It is true that the Dam will generate
extra hydro-electric power. But do we really need it? Is there no other
alternate source to generate it? The answer is no we do not need it and there
are other resources by using that we can generate the electricity. We can make
more than that form the coal which has been discovered from Thar.
(iv)
Supporters of Kalabagh Dam say that lot of water is flowing in to the sea each
year and that is wastage of water. By constructing Kalabagh Dam they would be
able to save that water yes the water goes in to the sea if it is extra. But
there is no extra water every year. If water would not flow in to the sea every
year the sea water will come over to the land and will cover the most irrigated
land. So by construction of Kalabagh Dam most area of Sindh will come under sea
water.
A part from
above stated facts this Dam will increase salinity and water logging and will
further degrade agriculture productivity in the Indus Basin, because the
storage of water created by the Dam will make forests and Kacha areas of Sindh
dry. This will render huge areas of productive and fertile Sindh into desert.
The construction of Kalabagh Dam will also have a disastrous effect aquatic
species of Sindh such as Indus Dolphin Pallo and Sea cat. These species are
already at the verge of extinction due to shortage of water.
The
re-education of freshwater flow below Kotri had produced adverse effects on the
lives of fisher men who depend upon agriculture and fisheries on the banks of
Indus. Construction of Dam will further increase the poverty and joblessness in
these areas. It will destroy wild life of Sindh. As the natural lakes Manchher,
Keenjhar, Haleji will eventually vanish.
According to
a report Dam will eventually down the Land which produces tobacco, sugarcane
and sugar beet in NWFP. This includes places like Mardan, Takhat Bhai, Khazana
Charsada and Swabi. Hence this will not only destroy the industry of NWFP but
also its history and civilization.
This Dam
will also cause heavy displacement. According to Government’s own figures some
70,00 families will be displaced in Peshawar, Noushera and Charsada in NWFP.
Keeping
above stated facts in view Kalabagh Dam can not be constructed because it is
harmful for the people of Sindh and NWFP.
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