Every year Water day is held in Pakistan to highlight the looming water scarcity problems being faced by the nation. It has been stated that India is building 94 dams on our three Western rivers of Chenab, Jhelum and Indus in a mammoth project of linking all the Indian rivers including the three Pakistani rivers. The Indian Supreme Court has ordered the Government to complete a huge project of integrating 30 rivers at a cost of 210 billion U.S. $ in a definite time period. This operation would suck our rivers dry and Pakistan would face an existential threat. India has been flouting Indus water treaty in exploiting our rivers at its sweet will. Our leaders have been worshipping democracy all the time while compromising on our vital interests of water without which no life can exist.
We have yet to build a single mega-dam in four decades due to blissful disregard of utilizing God given sweet river waters. The so-called democracy has failed us on all fronts. We are sunk neck deep in corruption and our Supreme Court is mired in various issues of least concern to our survival while the burning issue of Watergate is looming on the horizon. PIA, steel mill and railways have been destroyed by corrupt ministers of allied parties. PPP remains silent so as not to annoy coalition ministers who are making hay while the sun shines. History is on record that large dams have been built only by strong central governments of whichever hue they may be. In our short history of seven decades the only two mega-dams were built by a strongman i.e. F.M. Ayub Khan. Our brand of democracy has been tried and failed miserably. It could be better called “reconcilocracy” for ushering in a disaster for the nation with no silver lining on the horizon. May Allah guide our leaders to steer in clear waters avoiding icebergs and hidden rocks. Let water not become a nemesis of the budding state of Pakistan.
DR. MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI,
Lahore, March 24.