LAHORE: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) has urged the government to create consensus for construction of Kalabagh Dam, which (if constructed) would have capacity of generating 3,600 megawatts electricity.
LCCI President Ijaz A Mumtaz, in a statement, said that Kalabagh dam is the most suitable project for the national economy as it would not only produce cheap and sufficient electricity but would also avert the human tragedies like Tharparkar.
LCCI former vice president Kashif Anwar said that Kalabagh dam is a must to control the poverty & hunger and those who were opposing the KBD were enemies of this country as they were playing with the country‘s future. He said that approximately Rs132 billion could be saved annually with the construction of Kalabagh Dam. He said that the experts had already proved that there is no threat to Nowshehra city as it is 150 feet above the water level.
Kashif Anwar said that Kalabagh Dam was not only beneficial to Punjab alone but it would be more helpful in erasing poverty from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as would irrigate 800000 acres of cultivable land that is located 100-150 feet above the Indus river level in the province. He said this land could only be brought under cultivation if the river level is raised that is only possible if Kalabagh Dam is built.
IEP Lahore Centre Chairman Syed Khalid Sajjad said that Kalabagh Dam issue has been so much politicized that a consensus would not be possible. The political leadership, he added, is manipulating the issue for their advantage. He said civil society would have to play a crucial role in creating a larger consensus as new large water reservoirs would benefit every Pakistani.
