I hear frightening news that due to shortage of water in dams, 10 out of 14 generating units at Tarbela and virtually all at Mangla have been closed. On the other hand, I saw a ticker running on my TV screen saying the Minister of Power has announced that there will be no loadshedding after 31st of March 2009. This is an unbelievable statement unless he has a magic wand or Aladdin's lamp. The ministers may not know it but the common man fully knows the reasons for this cruel loadshedding that is now extended up to 11 hours a day. It is all due to one, lack of water in dams which cannot be wished away and two, due to the circular debt of billions in which the government is the main culprit. Largely due to non-payment by the government, the Independent Power Producers have no finances to buy furnace oil to run their units. Musharraf seized power and remained all in all for 9 long years. He did nothing to stop India from building dams on our rivers to usurp our water. Our so-called democratic government has spent its entire first year in continuous mischief while trying to consolidate its hold on power and dislodge PML-N government in Punjab. I say for God's sake start building new dams. If the technical reports show they are feasible, damn the opposition who has stalled building of dams for more than 20 years due to its petty vested interests. -DR ZAHEER ASGHAR KHAN, Lahore, via e-mail, March 21.