In his letter ‘Building and strengthening institutions’, in the Nation of Sep 21, Hashim Abro has talked of fair elections which he says would bring out honest leaders, who would strive to improve the quality of life for the people of Pakistan. What will they do when faced with a shattered economy, due to total industrial and agricultural breakdown, if their choices are also limited? What did President Roosevelt do, when faced with such a situation, he created the ‘Tennessee Valley Authority’(TVA) and tasked it with building seven dams on the Tennessee river. This gave jobs to millions, provided power to the growing industry and water for agriculture. He pulled USA out of its worst recession.
Wapda was instituted on the lines of TVA, with a vision of seven dams on the Indus. And what have we done, we have stopped it from building even the one dam, which could have been built decades ago. And we expect industry and agriculture to revive by itself, because small dams will never do it, Dasu dam will give us only power and Bhasha dam will give us neither power nor water for many years to come. Hashim Abro, unless some sane voices starts rising from Sindh, more of the same will result and a better life for the people will remain a dream.
ENGR KHURSHID ANWER,
Lahore, September 21.