13 August 2004 Friday26 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425
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