Saviour of the economy
By Abdul Razaque Bugti

Pakistan’s agriculture, which constitutes 24 percent of GDP, is flourishing due to the existence of a large canal irrigation system. The water that flows in our rivers comes out of glacier melt that is 138.4 MAF. However, the quantity is reduced to 95 MAF at canal end and further reduced at farm end; thus resulting in serious water shortage.

According to official statistics, the glacier water is augmented by rainwater that is approximately 180 MAF; out of which 25 MAF is used for the cultivation of arid land, while 155 MAF leads to flooding that destroy crops, houses and infrastructure before it is discharged into the sea.
In addition, since Pakistan is deprived of the three eastern rivers, namely Ravi, Beas and Sutlej, under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), the farmers are facing severe water shortages. In case the Pakistani government does not take the necessary steps to save the available water resources, besides build new reservoirs, it is likely to face a drought-like situation in the future.
When IWT was implemented and India stopped the flow of water in the three eastern rivers, Pakistan had already constructed the Mangla Dam, Chashma and other barrages, as well as link canals. So the flow of water continued in Ravi and Sutlej, but it abandoned Beas.
Later, Tarbela Dam was constructed to regulate the flow of water in River Indus. Yet, it is unmanageable because floods normally occur during the monsoon season, depriving the people of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan from the much needed water for the sowing of crops, like cotton, sugarcane and rice, at the right time. For example, when rice crops are sown late in Sindh and Balochistan, they are harvested in October. Due to larval attack, however, they are destroyed in August, i.e. well before the harvesting season. Let me add that rice crops in the two provinces were completely destroyed when River Indus was deprived of the waters of rivers Ravi, Beas and Sutlej.
Having said that, rainwater causes human tragedy as well as heavy economic losses. Geographically, Pakistan can be divided into three zones as rainwater catchment. The northern zone is the catchment area of snowfall that make glaciers, while some rain falls in the plains of this zone.
Against this backdrop, as planned, the Diamer-Bhasha Dam project is located on River Indus, about 315 km upstream of Tarbela Dam, 180 km downstream of the northern area capital Gilgit and 40 km downstream of Chilas, the district headquarter of Diamer in Gilgit-Baltistan. It will have a capacity of 8.1 MAF gross storage and 6.4 MAF live storage of water, and will generate 4,500 MW of hydroelectric power. It is also part of the flood alleviation system.
Besides this, the KPK government has wisely constructed a few dams and water reservoirs with the total capacity of 2.757 MAF. Some of these dams generate hydropower electricity. The dams at Bannu, Swat and Tank are: Tank Zam Dam on Tank River, Munda Dam on Swat River, Kurram Tangi Dam on Kurram River and Gomal Zam Dam on Gomal River.
All the four rivers used to get flooded during the rainy season that devastated life, infrastructure and crops in Fata/Pata and KPK before the water could be discharged in River Indus. However, the sincere efforts of the provincial leadership resulted into the construction of these important dams, which help in controlling floods in their areas, as well as in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan, and storing excess water so that nearly one million acres of additional arid land can be cultivated.
Needless to say, the major rainwater catchment zones are the plains of Punjab and Sindh. It is unfortunate that we have absolutely no existing system to regulate rainwater in the province of Punjab. Wapda though has managed to prepare an effective system to regulate rainwater for the prevention of floods, and use it for agriculture and to generate cheap hydroelectric power. For instance, Diamer-Bhasha Dam in Gilgit-Baltistan; Akhori Dam, Kalabagh Dam, Kachhi Canal and Greater Thal Canal in Punjab; and LBOD, RBOD, Rainee Canal and Sehwan Barrage in Sindh.
It is, however, important that all these dams, barrages, drains and canals be viewed in a system context. We must understand that if we miss one link of this system, we will lose a considerable benefit that can be obtained from it.
–To be continued

The writer is a retired lieutenant colonel, columnist and political analyst.

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