(March 15 2004): It appears that the next fisticuffs would be fought over water, especially in South Asia. The conflict of Kashmir is actually the dispute of water. Both, India and Pakistan are assaying to get the control of the two rivers Jhehlum and Chenab.

No doubt, water is important for both the countries because these being agrarian societies. Water is the lifeblood of agriculture, whether in the form of rain and snow, or running rivers, or amassed in the earth's belly.

Pakistan is blessed with water wealth. Prudent management is needed to turn this wealth into gold. In the country's total area of 803,940 sq km, water is on 25,220 sq km. Pakistan has three main river basins: the Indus, the Kharan and the Mekran.

The Indus Basin forms the largest river basin with fertile plain lands in Punjab and Sindh provinces, while the Kharan and the Mekran water Balochistan's plains. The Indus and Mekran basins drain off in the Arabian Sea. The Kharan Basin is known as a closed basin because the entire basin's catchment water is used in agriculture and in domestic requirements.

In spite of abundant water resources, we are failing to manage these resources. The two related issues are power production and agricultural development. If these problems are resolved, we shall be able to set up a launching pad for economic development. We shall have to manage these resources for their efficient use.

Pakistan produces only 28.2 per cent of the total electricity by water resources and the remaining 71.8 per cent is generated through expensive resources (68.8 per cent by fossil fuel and 3 per cent by nuclear resources). Hydro electricity is the cheapest of all other resources, why do we fail to capitalize on water resources by proper management? Agriculture contributes only 24 per cent share of our total GDP, whereas 72 per cent people are affiliated with agriculture.

Pakistan depends on irrigation and water resources for 90 per cent of its food and crop production. The vast irrigation system comprised of three major storage reservoirs, 19 barrages or head works, 43 main canals with a conveyance length of 57,000km, and 89,000 watercourses with a running length of more than 1.65 million km.

This vast irrigation system feeds more than 40 million acres of irrigated land in Pakistan, a country with the highest irrigated and rain-fed land ratio in the world (4:1). In spite of the world's largest irrigation system, the cultivable land is not used to its full potential because most of the areas in Balochistan, Sindh and Southern Punjab are still joggled by water shortage. Even in areas where well-defined irrigation system is accessible, the agricultural lands are bereft of optimum quantity of water.

A few days ago the officials of the Irsa announced that the discharge of water from river Indus has decreased by 30,000 cusec, forcing the authorities to cut Punjab's share by 15.8 per cent and for Sindh by 9.4 per cent. It would never have happened, if we had launched proper water conservation and management policies.

The only solution to all these problems is proper water resource management and efficient use of water resources by constructing new dams, silt drainage of existing dams and canals, cleaning of water channels, stopping of water seepage, controlled water discharge etc.

The first step here is new dams; all other management practices rise after the construction of new dams. New dams are our need. It is surprising that some political leaders are flying the flag of political interests rather than the national interests. The three dams Kalabagh, Bhasha and Skardu would resuscitate barren lands by water. The government should not dally with these projects.

The feasibility report on Kalabagh dam is ready and if the government starts work on this project immediately, it will be completed till 2010. Water will be stored in 90 miles long gorge in front of this dam, unique in construction.

The most part of the silt and mud will automatically be drained by water flow. For drainage water level will be kept up to 825 feet from start of June to July 21. If this reservoir is filled up to its full storage capacity, it can generate 36,000 MW of electric power. Even in June when the level of water will be kept minimum for drainage purposes, it may produce 463 MW of electric power.

During the drainage period of Kalabagh dam, Terbela dam will be filled up to its full storage capacity, so alternate drainage practices will be carried out in both dams to maintain constant supply of power and water. Annually, 11,413 million units of electric power will be generated by Kalabagh Dam and due to alternate drainage periods, the capacity of Terbela dam to generate electricity will be increased by 336 million units annually.

The feasibility report of Bhasha dam is being completed. It will take some months and after completion it will be put before experts in July 2004 for detailed debate. If the government starts work on Bhasha dam in 2006, it will be completed in 2013.

A dam in Skardu (Katzara) is the third option. In the south of Skardu, there is a natural gorge which is perfect for dam construction. This place is pretty useful to store water from the three rivers Indus, Shewak and Shaegar. With the construction of this dam, almost 35 MAF water can be stored and 15,000 MW of electric power can be produced by the flow of stored water.

The construction of new reservoirs is of utmost need because the silting storage capacity of both Mangla and Terbela dams is decreasing day by day. It will be decreased by 5.94 MAF till 2010.

Problems concerned with these reservoirs can be resolved by consensus. Water logging may be a problem in some areas of the NWFP because of Kalabagh. Sindh fears decrease in water quantity in the Indus river due to water storage in reservoir.

Sindh thinks that due to the lack of water in Indus river, the aquatic creatures may disappear and there is also a threat to natural vegetations (e.g., mangroves) near the coastal areas.

The people of Sindh also feel that the stored water in reservoir will mostly be used by Punjab. All these problems are just assumptions, nothing else. Adequate compensatory measures can be applied to erode the fear of unfair water distribution, depletion of aquatic creatures and natural vegetations.

Compensatory measures may be adopted by holding seminars on community level, participatory decision-making, alternatives to the affected persons, etc. Problems related to the Skardu dam is its height of area (7,000 m from sea level), which is so difficult to have easy access, installation of electric power lines, power losses, effects on air base, effects on agriculture and trade and the alternative residence of the community.

These problems can be solved by appropriate planning framework that needs devoted efforts and spirit of sacrifice and services by both government and community.

DAWN