Sabotaging a Multipurpose Remedy: Kalabagh DAM
Kalabagh Dam
The Kalabagh dam (Urdu: کالا باغ ڈيم), is a proposed hydroelectric dam on the Indus River at Kalabagh in Mianwali District of the Punjab province in Pakistan. The project has been highly debated and deemed a necessity since its inception. If constructed with 3,800 MW electricity generation capacity, it will become the largest source of electricity for Pakistan.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalabagh_Dam
The Kalabagh dam, is a proposed hydroelectric dam on the Indus River at Kalabagh in Mianwali District of the Punjab province in Pakistan. The project has been highly debated and deemed a necessity since its inception.
Source:
Dams and Damnation
In December 2004, General Pervez Musharraf, President of Pakistan, announced that he would build the dam in the larger interest of Pakistan. On May 26, 2008, Federal Minister for Water and Power of Pakistan, Raja Pervez Ashraf, said that the "Kalabagh Dam would not be constructed" and the project has been cancelled.
Source:
کالا باغ ڈیم کی فزیبلٹی پر انیس سو تراسی میں کام شروع ہوا اور اس
دن سے یہ ڈیم متنازعہ بنا ہوا ہے۔ جب میاں نواز شریف وزیراعظم بنے اور
انیس سو اکانوے میں یعنی پانی کی تقسیم کا معاہدہ ہوا تو ان دنوں آئینی
ادارے قومی اقتصادی
کونسل کا اجلاس ہوا۔
Source:
http://mianwalinews.wordpress.com/%DA%A9%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%BA-%DA%88%DB%8C%D9%85/ A very complete report for KB Dam By
Tariq Mian [http://tariqmian.blogspot.com]
Sabotaging a Multipurpose Remedy
Unfortunately,
many players of political arena in Pakistan carry the contagious germs
of greed, dishonesty, bias and incompetence, hence are unable to play
wise when it comes to safeguarding national interests. Such is the dirty
politics that becomes an effective tool in the hands of anti-national “manipulative strategists” who love to keep corrupting the fate of developmental projects of the highest national value.
Recent passage of four resolutions
by the Sindh provincial assembly denouncing the latest LHC verdict on
the stalled KB dam project is thought provoking. It’s also extremely
disappointing that some political leaders are using tough tone uttering
threats on the life of Pakistan, they say, “Choose between KB dam and
Pakistan.” That’s nonsense, indeed.
Most disturbing is the fact that some ‘visionless pigeons in the parliament’
ride the band-wagon to support the ill-designers; thus remain
conveniently blindfolded only waiting for their turn to be eaten by the
silent killer cat. Although, these pigeons are naive, there is criminal
negligence on their part for endangering the whole country.
Converting
the non issue into political issue on the basis of assumptions or
fabricated pretexts is perhaps part of the game plan.
Nevertheless,
this kind of attitude is an open invitation for potential disaster in
totality. And, keeping the proposed project in Limbo isn’t in the best
national interests; however, it may only satisfy the bloody plotters.
The
fact is Pakistan’s ‘lop-sided economy’ faces yet another severe blow to
the proposed dam to keep it buried in filing cabinet indefinitely. And
the irony is Pakistan doesn’t hesitate when blaming India for building
dams.
Sadly, the stakeholders (State/non State) are hell bent to resist the construction of KBD. Politicizing
a purely technical/administrative matter shows a clear lack of
political will on the part of current/former rulers. It’s crystal clear
that avoidance of timely solution is not people friendly.
Consequently, the
relevant bodies responsible for the development and regulation of water
resources in the country e.g. the Water and Power Development Authority
(WAPDA) and the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) and the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) continue to be distracted; hence a severe loss to the greater national interest.
As reported by various print and electronic media,
Kalabagh Dam project is designed to have a live storage capacity of 6.1
million acre feet (MAF), taking care of the capacity loss in
reservoirs, it would also make substantial contribution to firming up
the irrigation supplies for the projects. This has been originally
agreed by the provinces under Water Apportionment Accord (WAA) of 1991.
Adding a large amount of cheap hydropower to the National Grid through
its 2400 MW (Ultimate 3600 MW) installed power is also included. Also, there
would be storage capacity for surplus water in the flood season and it
would facilitate the controlled utilization during the “low flow” season. This water would thus be used for agricultural crops from start to the end as needed.
In other words, the irrigation oriented operation of the project will give the highest overall economic return. Furthermore, the dam would eliminate the problem of load shedding forever and will reduce the frequency and severity of flooding. According to NEPRA,
current demand is 23,000 MWs while the supply remains at 14,000 MWs,
therefore, more hydel and thermal power plants are needed to solve the
crisis.
As per WAPDA, the KB dam is designed to:
1-
Generate large amounts of low cost hydro electric power near major load
centers, and supply the existing grid for meeting the growing power
demand of agriculture, industrial and domestic consumers. In addition,
it will increase the energy output of the existing Tarbela scheme by
permitting the conjunctive operation of the two reservoirs.
2- Provide additional storage on the Indus River, and thus reduce the exiting system shortfalls in irrigation requirements.
3-
Provide additional regulation on the river Indus, and thus provide
better system control and management for supplying assured, adequate and
timely irrigation water for crops.
4-
Compensate for the storage loss due to the silting up of exiting
reservoirs till such time that their substitutes, (presently planned)
are actually available.
5- Eliminate and control the flood peaks in the River Indus so as to minimize flood hazards downstream.
6-
Increase Pakistan’s capability to manage its water distribution and
power generation systems through the conjunctive operation of Tarbela
and KBD reservoirs.
“The former Chairman WAPDA Shams ul Mulk says that Kalabagh Dam would benefit every province and that opposition to it is orchestrated by hidden foreign hands. He
also says that Kalabagh Dam is not only beneficial to Punjab alone but
it will be more helpful in erasing poverty from Khyber Pakhtun Khawa as
it would irrigate 800000 acres of cultivable land - located 100-150 feet
above the Indus river level. He said this land could only be brought
under cultivation if the river level is raised that is only possible if
Kalabagh Dam is built.”
Some
reliable sources suggest: Pakistan’s economy has been facing an annual
loss of Rs132 billion due to inordinate delay in execution of Kalabagh
Dam (KBD) project.
As
the existing dams have already lost 5.3 MAF due to sedimentation, and
this loss would be 6.6 MAF by 2016. Therefore, KBD must be built by 2018
to compensate for the loss in storage capacity. Thus, stopping the proposed project would be a grave blunder against the people of Pakistan.
*****The good news is the World Bank is willing to finance the KB dam.
The
LHC has simply ordered the Federal government to implement 1991
decision of Council of Common Interest (CCI). In fact, when all the four
Chief Ministers agreed in September 1991 to construct the Kalabagh Dam,
the CCI prepared documentation for the projects in May 1998.
Moreover, the feasibility of the project
was also agreed to by all four provinces in 2004, yet the Sindh
assembly is only interested in re-igniting the settled issue of KBD
project and has managed to divert the attention of general public away
from the terrible law and order situation. But, there is no second
opinion on the sincerity of the seasoned politicians and technocrats for
national matters
My Input:
This was and is need of hour to our government to begin and to understand we need energy and resource to run this country rather wasting the precious time for speeches.
This Project was Physibility Study was done in 1983 so till today its more than 29years past and still we are struggling with it.
And this is the project of the same government who is currently Ruling the country and I do not understand what is the Best internest of this nation even Sindh Province.
People of Pakistan need to realize these leader are of no more use and we need to spread the awareness and better choose those who will stand with you in odd and even of times as well people like us, as long as we will be selecting those landlords and looter of this country we will remain the same. If we need a better Pakistan we need to select those who are like us and who are really honest and without property and bank balance.
If you want to rule the world all we need to rule our homes and people and chose people who are like us. Us means Muslim and very honest.
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