Introduction:

The Kalabagh Dam is a proposed hydroelectric dam on the Indus River at Kalabagh in
Mianwali District of the Punjab province. The construction of the project has been highly
debated nation wise. If constructed it will become the largest source of electricity for
Pakistan with 3,600 MW electricity generation capacity.

Background:

In December 2004, General Pervez Musharraf, President of Pakistan, announced that

he would build the dam in the larger interest of Pakistan. On 26 May 2008, Federal
Minister for Water and Power of Pakistan, Raja Pervez Ashraf, said that the "Kalabagh
Dam would not be constructed" and thus the project was cancelled. He said due to the
"opposition from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and other stakeholders, the project was
no longer feasible". However, after the worst flood (2010) in Pakistan, the prime minister
of Pakistan, Yousaf Raza Gilani, stated that the devastation of floods would be less if
Kalabagh Dam was built.

Reason for Constructing Kalabagh dam:

1. The rainfall pattern in Pakistan is 25 percent during winter season and 75 percent
during Monson season in summer. On average rate of rainfall in monsoon, almost
85MAF of water accumulate at Kalabagh site which goes to sea without any
consumption as in summer we have got more than expected rainfall that has resulted in
heavy loss of economy and wealth.

2. Geographically, Pakistan contains a flat land profile and Pakistan does not have
much ideal sites in the country to store water, Kalabagh Dam is one of those scarce
dams. Being cheaper Dam the Kalabagh Dam is the ideal one to be utilized.

3. Strategically, we have 60 year long water dispute with neighbor country. We are
talking too much about the rivers of Jehlum and Chenab. We are ignoring a huge water
resource in form of Indus River.
4. Economically, we can observe that none of the population living on the bank of
that mighty river is stable, because of the people suffering every year from flood
specially areas of Rajan pur and Chachran Sharif.

5. If one feet of water is standing over one million acre of area that would be one
million acre feet. At present our need is 104MAF (MILLION ACRE FEET) per year for
agriculture. And 38MAF to fullfill conveyance losses of longest irrigation system. By
2020 we will need 150-180MAF of water for our agricultural needs.

6. The new techniques of irrigation will only coup the primary water losses which is
at farm level. We need to save water of flood. It could be saved where it hurts the most,
the Kalabagh site.

The Construction of KalaBagh Dam will Benefit:

 "Kalabagh Dam would be helpful in erasing poverty from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa,

as it would irrigate 800,000 acres of cultivable land that is located 100–150 feet
above the level of River Indus."
 Kalabagh Dam would provide 6.5 million acre feet of water to cultivate seven
million acres of currently barren land
 Kalabagh dam will increase 15% of Pakistan's income.
 3600 megawatt electricity will be generated.
 water shall be available to compensate the shortage in Sindh for kharif crops.
 Construction of Kalabagh Dam will add more electricity generation capacity.
 Pakistan is fast heading towards a situation of water shortage.
 Kalabagh Dam could assume role for making a serious start towards a unified
national water resources development-cum-management.
 It could generate a large chunk of hydro-power for meeting the growing demand
of agricultural, industrial and domestic consumers through low cost option.
Opposition from Stakeholders:
On 26 May 2008, Federal Minister for Water and Power of Pakistan Raja Pervez Ashraf abruptly
cancelled the project and that Kalabagh Dam will not be constructed. He said due to opposition from
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and other stakeholders, the project is no longer feasible.
Sindh's Viewpoint

Sindh is the lower riparian and strongest opponent of KBD and politicians presents
many objections against the proposed dam:

 That their share of the Indus water will be curtailed as water from the Kalabagh
will go to irrigate farmlands in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, at their cost.
 The coastal regions of Sindh require a constant flow of water down the Indus into
the Arabian Sea so as to keep the seawater from intruding inland. If the flow of
water is stopped, the incoming sea water would turn many areas of Sindh's coast
into an arid saline desert, and destroy Sindh's coastal mangroves.

 Claims that the current flow of Indus river downstream of Kotri Barrage is only
because of rain. Hence in years of low rain, Sindh fears the Indus would stop
flowing.

 Damming the Indus has already caused a number of environmental problems

that have not yet addressed despite deposited in the proposed Kalabagh dam
would further curtail the water storage capacity of Manchar Lake and other lakes
and of wetlands like Haleji Lake.

 President Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and other leaders, have
promised to ensure that Sindh gets its fair share of water. However, these
assurances mean little to most Sindhis, who claim that even the earlier 1991
Indus Water-Sharing Accord, which is a document already guaranteed by the
constitutional body, the Council of Common Interests, has been violated, and that
Punjab has "stolen" their water without any concrete evidence.

The objection to Kalabagh in Sindh is widespread. Even political parties of Sindh that
are in the central cabinet and are supported by General Musharraf, such as the
Muttahida Quami Movement, have strongly denounced the dam. Opposition towards
Kalabagh Dam is such that PML N's Sindh Chapter also were in agreement with the
opponents of the Dam and as a result even PML N's leader Mr Nawaz Sharif, who as
the Prime Minister of Pakistan had stated in 1998 that he proposes to build the dam,
retracted from his stance and declared that Sindh's view point ought to be respected
and no project, however essential, be carried out that weakened Pakistan's Federation.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's viewpoint

KPK has two main objections to the dam:

 While the reservoir will be in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the dam's electricity-
generating turbines will be just across the provincial border in Punjab. Therefore,
Punjab would get royalties from the central government in Islamabad for
generating electricity. Although, Punjab has also agreed not to claim any royalty
on generation of resources from Kalabagh dam.
 Concerns that large areas of Nowshera District would be submerged by the dam
and even wider areas would suffer from water-logging and salinity as has
occurred with the Tarbela Dam. As the water will be stored in Kalabagh dam as
proposed, that will give water level rise to the city that is about 200 km away from
the proposed location. However, engineers having expertise on dam construction
repeatedly deny the opinion that Nowshera city could be submerged by the dam
lake.
 Punjab follows a paradox policy when it comes to canals to be taken out from
Kalabagh Dam. It talks of right bank canal which will supply water to D I Khan,
but when talking to Sindh, it denies construction of right bank canal being
infeasible.

Balochistan's viewpoint

Balochistan is not directly affected by the dam as such. Rather, most nationalist Baloch
claim the dam is an instance of grievances of smaller provinces not being taken into
account. They have however, not included the dam in any of their statements after its
cancellation.
Other stakeholders Viewpoints:

 The dam will have also adverse impacts on the environment, as can be expected
from any large dam.
 will cause unnecessary wastage of huge funds as compared to many other
suitable sites of dams proposed on Indus River
 It will displace 83000 people.
 The effects of Kalabagh dam on agricultural production, such as tobacco,
sugarcane and maize.