Dams are the talking point in Pakistan where the regions of Sindh and Baluchistan have been hit by drought
Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistan's Chief Executive General Parvez Musharraf had, among their various other duties, one common task -- looking for drought relief in every possible direction. Both the countries almost simultaneously went through the trauma of witnessing a huge number of its citizens and livestock struggle against the hardships brought on by food and water shortage. And both saw its politicians pitching for dams as an easy solution to solve the water crisis.
Be it India's water resources minister C P Thakur or Pakistan's Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan, the message is the same: build more dams and there will be no drought. Khan proposed the construction of small dams in Thar, Kohistan and Baluchistan to meet the drought-like situation in the future. However, due to the controversy surrounding the Kalabagh Dam, Khan suggested the construction of the Indus water channel. This, he said, would not only save 35 per cent water but would also generate employment avenues. Moreover, it would also make five million acres additional kacha land available for cultivation and check water-logging and salinity. Apart from this, he said, construction of channel would not require any help from foreign experts.
Whatever be the case, the Pakistan government -- not unlike its Indian counterpart -- has been caught in a desperate situation and is trying to find a quick solution to the crisis. About 1.1 million people in the Tharparkar arid region and the Kohistan/Kacho districts, both situated in Sindh. To tackle the situation, relief fund amounting to Rs 273.88 million have been provided to the affected people in Sindh.
Meanwhile, the death count in drought affected Baluchistan is on the rise with every passing day. Pakistan's railways have already started to transport water to Baluchistan.
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