Posts Tagged ‘Kalabagh’

Basha dam to be inaugurated next month: NA told

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Friday informed the lower house of Parliament that the construction work on Diamer Basha dam would be inaugurated by the Prime Minister next month adding that land acquisition process has been initiated.

 
In response to various questions raised by parliamentarians in question hour, he said the government was vigorously pursuing the harnessing of water resources to improve the water availability in the country.

He said the designs and tender documents of Diamer Basha dam have been completed and Asian Development Bank (ADB) has promised to finance the project.

The minister said that a comprehensive plan to construct a number of small dams in the country had also been launched to provide irrigation facilities to areas outside the command if Indus system.

He said Rs.1.249 billion had been incurred on the planning and investigation of Kalabagh dam so far, adding that instead of initiating work on controversial projects and wasting huge money the government is working on non controversial projects.

In response to another question, the minister said the power shortfall in July, August and September 2010 was recorded as 3257 MW, 3409 MW and 3297 MW respectively.

Ashraf said the main cause of loadshedding is devastation caused by floods adding that in many areas the flood water washed away the grid stations, transmission lines and transformers. However, he said efforts are underway to improve the situation.

He further said that there is huge gap between installed capacity and power generation.

He said Pakistan raised objections on the design features and spillway structure of Kishenganga hydroelectric plant.

But India did not cooperate in resolving the issue bilaterally, therefore the government has instituted the proceedings for resolving the dispute by court of arbitration as provided under the Indus Water Treaty, he added.

To another question he said the project to distribute two energy savers to every household in exchange of incandescent bulbs is under submission for approval of the government.

He said a consultant has been hired to formulate the proposal and mechanism for launching of the project, adding that the cost of the project is $ 85 million.

To another question he said that 6,300 villages were electrified under village electrification project initiated in 1993-94 with the assistance of Japan.

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Via DAWN.com

Petition asks SC to resolve Kalabagh dam issue

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court was requested on Friday to intervene and help find a solution to a controversy over the Kalabagh dam by invoking Article 184(1) of the Constitution which provides it exclusive jurisdiction to settle disputes among provincial governments.

The petition, filed by senior Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Ali Zafar on behalf of journalist Zia Shahid and former food and agriculture minister of Punjab Sultan Ali Chaudhry, sought a court declaration that it was an inalienable right of citizens of Pakistan and a binding duty of the state that the controversy over Kalabagh dam be decided one way or the other in accordance with the Constitution.

The four provinces and the authorities concerned, including Wapda, have been made respondent in the petition.

Citing experts’ reports, Barrister Zafar said the country’s water level would drop to 1,000 M3 per capita in 2025 which was considered to be ‘extreme water scarcity’, while Tarbela and Mangla reservoirs were rapidly losing their storage capacities because of sedimentation. “This is pushing Pakistan towards a national disaster, making the construction of Kalabagh dam imperative.”

He also cited statements of past and present prime ministers, chief ministers and governors and contradictory resolutions passed by provincial assemblies, including that of the Punjab Assembly on Oct 5, to plead that Kalabagh dam was a dispute among the provincial governments and the Supreme Court had an exclusive jurisdiction to settle such disputes under Article 184 (1) of the Constitution.

Barrister Zafar argued that utilisation of water by building dams for the welfare of citizens was a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution and by not building the dam the federal government was violating such rights of millions of Pakistanis.

As a result of the Indus Water Treaty 1960, the petition said, Pakistan had lost water of Ravi, Beas and Sutlej and because of constant infighting had been unable to fully utilise water of the remaining three rivers — Indus, Jhelum and Chenab. On the other hand, it said, India had built 4,291 dams and planned to build another 695 even on Pakistani rivers of Chenab and Jhelum.

“Pakistan has only been able to build Tarbela and Mangla dams while Kalabagh remains shelved as a pipedream because of internal differences,” it said. As a result, Pakistan wasted 38 MAF (million acres feet) of river water every year into the sea.

“If we want to safeguard our future generation from living in a dry, famine-stricken and barren Pakistan and counter the sales pitch of India, we have to build (Kalabagh) dam and, that too, immediately,” the petition said.

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Via DAWN.com

Gilani asks NA to leave Musharraf ‘to himself’

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly saw a sharp division over the fate of former military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani advising legislators to leave the former president “to himself” while opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan called for his trial for abrogating the Constitution twice and working against national interests.

The sitting saw a third consecutive walkout by opposition members in as many days — this time over stoppage of funds for development of the areas affected by the 2005 earthquake.

The house passed two government bills and began a debate on an adjournment motion relating to incursion of Nato forces into Pakistan, resulting in losses of lives.

After Chaudhry Nisar made a scathing criticism of Pervez Musharraf for his reported admission that Pakistan army had trained militants to fight in Indian-held Kashmir, the prime minister said: “I have told him (the opposition leader) privately, and say it again, that it will be better to leave him (Gen Musharraf) to himself.”

But a backbencher of the prime minister’s own party, Jamshed Dasti, who apparently disagreed with Mr Gilani’s views, announced that he would register a treason case against Gen Musharraf at a police station in his hometown of Muzaffargarh on Thursday, if the Punjab chief minis- ter directed the police department to entertain his complaint.

BILLS PASSED

The assembly passed two bills — the Sacked Employees (Reinstatement) Bill 2010 seeking to provide relief to employees of various government departments and corporations who had been dismissed from service during the second term of the Nawaz Sharif government (1996-1999) and the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (Amendment) Bill 2007 seeking an amendment to the ordinance issued in 1965 to establish the commission. The bill has been passed with a purpose to place the commission under the National Command Authority.

MUSHARRAF’S TRIAL

The opposition leader said that if Gen Musharraf was allowed to go scot-free, he would continue to damage the country’s national interests.

Without naming Mr Musharraf, he said the time had come for the government to bring the former military dictator back home with the help of Interpol and make him accountable for suspending the Constitution, detaining judges of the superior courts and killing Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and a number of people during the Lal Masjid operation.

Apparently in reaction to Gen Musharraf’s personal attack on his party chief Nawaz Sharif, Chaudhry Nisar described the former president as “a characterless man” and “a person who has lost his senses”.

The PML-Q’s Amir Muqam, a member of the Musharraf cabinet, said if the former president was a ‘criminal’, those who had allowed him to leave the country should also be treated as criminals.

WALKOUT

Both Chaudhry Nisar and Amir Muqam accused the government of forgetting the quake-affected people who were still living in the open. They said that stoppage of funds to the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority had halted all development activities in the affected areas, particularly Hazara division.

The opposition staged a token walkout from the house.

In his reply, the prime minister said his government had, in fact, increased the allocation for Erra from Rs11 billion to Rs22 billion. He said that an amount of Rs5 billion would be released to Erra this week.

KALABAGH DAM

The PPP’s Gul Mohammad Jakhrani criticised the Punjab Assembly for passing a resolution in favour of the construction of Kalabagh dam. “You cannot infuse life into a dead horse,” Mr Jakhrani said, adding that there was no need for a fresh consensus because three provinces had already passed unanimous resolutions against the construction of the dam.

Mr Jakhrani, however, faced criticism from his party’s colleagues belonging to Punjab, including two ministers, who spoke in favour of the dam.

The Minister of State for Education, Ghulam Farid Kathia, and the Minister of State for Interior, Tasneem Qureshi, said that every provincial assembly had a right to express its feelings and opinion through resolutions. They were of the opinion that the construction of Kalabagh dam had become necessary after the flood devastation.

NATO INCURSION

The opposition, as well as treasury members, urged the government to lodge a protest with the US over the violation of the country’s airspace by the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf).

The PML-N’s Khawaja Saad Rafique asked the government to tell the house from where these drone attacks were being carried out and if there was an agreement with Nato allowing it to carry out attacks on Pakistani soil.

He asked the prime minister to reply these questions in his concluding speech, saying if he failed to give replies then the opposition would be justified to demand mid-term elections after the removal of the government.

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Via DAWN.com

No plan to impose flood tax in KP, says Hoti

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti on Wednesday ruled out imposition of flood tax in the province and said that undisputed dams should be constructed on priority basis instead of Kalabagh Dam, which was a dead issue.

Talking to journalists after distributing plot allotment letters among members of the Peshawar Press Club, the chief minister said that situation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was totally different from the three provinces as it had been badly affected both by record-breaking floods and militancy.

He added that the government could not put extra burden on poor masses by imposing flood tax.

People from various walks of life including businessmen and traders community were badly affected by terrorism, he said, adding that he can’t not consider appropriate to put extra burden on poor people by imposing flood tax.

To provide relief to flood and militancy affected people, he said, work on new developmental projects had been suspended by the government with an objective to help overcome problems of masses.

The devastation of floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was more than other provinces, he said and added that funds should be given to provinces on the basis of damages.

When asked about the Punjab Assembly’s resolution on Kalabagh Dam, the chief minister said, “It is a dead issue and a closed chapter. Let it remain a close chapter.”

He said that he respected the mandate of Punjab Assembly but disagreed with the resolution.

Kalabagh Dam may be fruitful for Punjab but not for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as we have witnessed a massive devastation due to recent floods in Nowshera, Charsadda and other downstream districts. He said that Kalabagh Dam was a disputed project and it would not be tolerated.

The chief minister said that undisputed dams should be constructed for storage of water and generation of electricity to cater to the needs of agriculture, power and economy.

Referring to Watan Cards, Mr Hoti said that the distribution process had already been started from Nowshera and priority was being given to those victims whose houses had been destroyed or damage by floods.

The distribution process of Watan Cards would be completed within 75 days and delay would not be tolerated, he added.—APP

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Via DAWN.com

Pakistan would become Somalia, if KBD not made: Taseer

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Governor Punjab Salman Taseer warned on Wednesday that if the Kalabagh Dam is not made, the country would turn into Somalia within a decade. Defying PPP policy, Taseer urged all the political parties to get united and hammer out a strategy to build Kalabagh Dam for the country. The Governor…

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KBD only after consensus: Raja

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ISLAMABAD – Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf on Thursday said work on Kalabagh Dam could only be launched after developing consensus among all the stakeholders.
Kalabagh Dam is controversial and no project could be started till consensus, Raja Pervez Ashraf said during National Assembly (NA) question-hour.


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Consensus among provinces vital for KBD: PM

ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday said any headway on the Kalabagh Dam project could be achieved only if the provinces reached a consensus on the issue.
The provinces adopted very positive approach in the case of 7th NFC Award and reached a consensus without the…

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Advocates Indus Water Treaty-like accord among provinces

LAHORE – Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer has termed construction of Kalabagh Dam essential for the country, saying no one can negate the importance of Bhasha Dam but the KBD is the only project which ensures both the 600 billion feet water storage capacity and 3,000-4,000 MW power generation.
“By demanding…

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KBD could have reduced floods intensity

ISLAMABAD – President of Associated Consulting Engineers (ACE), Amjad Agha, has said that the Kalabagh Dam would have reduced the fold peaks, and considerably reduced the intensity of floods in the areas downstream of Kalabagh Dam.
“Kalabagh Dam alone would not provide flood protection against devastation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In…

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Dam must for the country: Taseer

LAHORE – Stressing the need for construction of Kalabagh Dam, Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer said here on Friday that it would be suicidal for the country if the dam is not built in the near future.
‘If we can negotiate water treaty with India, then why can’t the provinces…

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PML-N, ‘Q’ favour KBD construction

ISLAMABAD – Giving his opinion in favour of Kalabagh Dam, Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid) central leader Kamil Ali Agha has said that PML-Q has always voiced in the favour of its construction, as it will be much beneficial for the country.
Kamil Ali Agha said that the damages of the…

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SC moved for Kalabagh Dam construction

Supreme Court has been moved for immediate construction of the controversial Kalabagh Dam on Tuesday. The petition was filed by Advocate Azam Khan Sultanpuri, who made federal and provincial governments, members of the National Assembly and Senate the parties in his application. Advocate Sultanpuri argued that the World Bank had…

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Sindh PA rejects Kalabagh Dam for third time

KARACHI – Sindh Assembly on Wednesday took strong exception to the statement of PML (N) MNA Abid Sher Ali in the National Assembly on Kalabagh Dam. The House for the third time unanimously rejected the construction of the water reservoir and also condemned the PML (N) parliamentarian for the ‘language’…

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World powers impeding consensus on Kalabagh

GUJRAT – Defence Minister Ch Ahmed Mukhtar has said that as the government could not register cases on the basis of the United Nations report on the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, it has, therefore, constituted a three-member committee, requiring it to submit a detailed report within a week.
Talking to…

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Qaim unaware of reason behind Sardar Aseff’s claim

Sindh CM denied that Kalabagh dam will be constructed as opposed to claims made by the Planning Commission’s DC.

Kalabagh dam scrapped, says Pervez Ashraf

‘The government has rejected this project and I am making this statement as minister of water and power.’