No one can deny the importance of building dams for water reservoirs. After all, we are an Agriculture society with over seventy percent of the population living in rural areas depending solely upon agriculture produces. However, it is fact that during last many years, the Indus River, has been giving a deserted look at the Kotri downstream. This very low flowing Indus water at downstream has not only made opportunities of agriculture produce for local growers very bleak but has affected the mangroves, habitat, and ecosystem and caused erosion of agriculture land along sea-belt in Thatta and Badin districts.

Construction of the large dam is, therefore, not as easy, as is being presumed. Before the construction of a large dam, it is especially required to conduct very serious studies about the average availability of water in the river system with the optimum need for agriculture purpose. Large dams can only be useful when the country has adequate water availability in the peak season to store the surplus water. Construction of small dams does not, however, carry such peculiarity and require that serious studies as small dams can be filled either through river water system or during heavy rainfall.

The scarcity of water can hit us after 10-15 years and certainly address the issue it is high time for us to formulate long term and durable policies from now so that water reservoirs could be constructed much before the threat begins. In the present time, we need a policy on the rational use of available water and construction of small dams especially in Sindh and Balochistan. While a competent and representative forum is required to conduct studies on water management and construction of large dams by 2030 at the most.

The country has many other issues to fight against on war footings viz Poverty, Hunger, Diseases, Ignorance, Drought, and unemployment, etc. which we have been pushing to the back burner amid un-usual debate over water reservoirs. Sindh’s Thar is the greater case in the sight where poverty and hunger sway because of persisting drought conditions. Besides, many parts of Thatta and & Badin districts in Sindh, parts of Baluchistan, KPK and southern Punjab have been confronting utter sort of poverty and backwardness.

This is the time for the Government to utilize its energy to addressing these issues on an urgent basis. The people have elected a new government and they expect concrete work to carry on by it to change their lot. The people have voted the present government for a change; the change which must remove the sufferings and deprivations from their life. The Government must spend its energy and resources to provide necessities of life to the poor and deprived people on war footings.

ABDUL SAMAD CHANNA,

Karachi, April 4.