The agricultural and water experts shown their concern that the country could not build any big dam for the last 40 years. The country is wasting 30 MAF of water annually by sending into the sea , causing the loss worth billions of dollars.
They were addressing at a seminar on Pakistan water resources arranged at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad at New Senate Hall as part of the Rabi Festival. Chairing the session, Federal Minister for National Food Security Rao Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan on Friday said the government was making all-out efforts to address the issues of water that are deepening every year. He said that dams were being constructed to meet the demand of increasing population amid the threat of decreasing water reservoirs. He showed his concern that in the index of per capita water availability, the Pakistan had been put on red zone. He said that construction of Kalabagh dam was a way forward to fight the challenges of the water scarcity that could not be metalized due to politics. He said that the water efficient irrigation technologies were needed and promoted that had become the need of hour. He said that ratio of small farmers had gone up. As many as 95 percent of the farming community is the small farmers that was 68 percent two decades ago. He said that the heavy investment was being made on the agricultural sector. He also lauded the steps being taken on the part of the Punjab government for the issue. He said that the Member IRSA Rao Irshad Ali Khan said that storages of 22 MAF presently flowing annually. He stressed upon the need to develop dams by saying that electricity produced from hydrel costs Rs 2.62, gas Rs 7.43, coal Rs 12.91, baggase 12.98, furnace oil Rs 17 and the wind electricity at the cost of 11.62. He said that the electricity is the cheapest source of electricity general. He said that due to reservoirs sedimentation, Tarbela capacity had declined by 35 percent as it was designed for 9.6 MAF and now it 6.33 MAF. Mangla dam storage capacity has reduced by 16 percent and Chashma storage capacity has squeezed by 61 percent. UAF Vice Chancellor Pro Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that at the time of inception, the water per capita availability was 5650 while it has reduced to 991 MAF now, ringing the alarm bells of water scarcity. He said that water is the life for the public. He said that we could not construct the water reservoirs and wasting the water in the shape of sending to sea, floods etc. He said that the canal system brought the life to Faisalabad which was a barren land a century ago . Progressive farmer Faisal Shah, Director Water Management Hamid Hussain Shah also spoke on the occasion.