Press Release

LCCI for early construction of Kalabagh Dam

The Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry has advocated an early construction of Kalabagh Dam saying that this dam is crucial to cope with the challenges energy shortage, food security, famine and floods.  In a statement issued here, the LCCI President Sheikh Muhammad Arshad, Senior Vice President Almas Hyder and Vice President Nasir Saeed said that only because of silence over Kalabagh dam, country is suffering a loss of Rs 132 billion annually.

They said that according to the experts, is no threat to Nowshehra city as it is 150 feet above the water level.

They said that the people opposing the construction of the dam are in fact enemies of the people of province. They said historical data indicates that during past 75 years average 146 million acres of water is available per year in river Indus.

They said the a further delay in gathering a consensus from all stakeholders on the construction of unduly politicized Kalabagh Dam will cost this country and its coming generations very dearly.

The LCCI office-bearers said that all the stakeholders should show some greater maturity on the issue of Kalabagh. It is the high time that all undue stands should be brushed aside to save the country from that era of darkness. They said that unlike Pakistan, India is constructing dams at every possible site. It has left us decades behind and coming time does not promise any good thing either.

They said that every one knows that the existing dams are constantly silting up leaving ever decreasing capacity to store water. The construction of Kalabagh dam along with other new dams is desperately needed to store adequate water. According to a conservative estimate about 30 million acre feet of water is being wasted into the sea because the country has no big water reservoirs to store it. More importantly, as a result of melting of glaciers due to global warming, a sword of Damocles remains hanging over our heads in the shape of floods. An opinion gained widespread support across the country that the losses of recent floods in Pakistan which are estimated to be more than 45 billion dollars could have been reduced if big dams and water reservoirs were in place.