Consensus on Kalabagh dam has already been reached under the Water Apportionment Accord of 1991. The federal body IRSA is in charge of river water distribution. Having Balochistans vote on its side, Sindh has three votes in IRSA to one for Punjab. Sindhs share in all future dams has been brought at par with Punjab by reducing Punjabs share. A monitoring team of engineers from the Sindh irrigation department is in operation on major dams of Punjab. Could there be a better reconciliation than this. The 12 maf surplus flood water initially stored at Tarbela represented a 25 percent increase in canal supplies and was meant to be shared equitably by all the provinces. Both north and south Punjab have a legitimate share in this water which they can utilise only through the CJ and TP link canals and the left bank canal at Kalabagh. However Sindh, unaware of the ground reality, will demand that the CJ and TP link canals be made flood-only canals and will never agree to the left bank canal at Kalabagh dam. Reopening the issue of consensus on Kalabagh dam will be akin to opening the Pandoras Box. Let us stay with the consensus already achieved if we want a satisfactory end to the water dispute between Sindh and Punjab. Not to do so will mean gradual desertification of farmlands all over the country. How we decide will determine whether we are to remain an agricultural country or become another Somalia. ENGR KHURSHID ANWER, Lahore, December 9.