With increasing population and depleting water storage capacity, Pakistan is fast heading towards a situation of water shortage and threat of famine (see chart). Per capita surface water availability has reduced from 5260 in 1951 close to 1000 cu.m per year, which is minimum to avoid being a “water scares country”. Therefore both Kalabagh Dam (KBD) and Diamer Bhasha Dam (DBD) are most essentially required for Pakistan. After seeing KBD nowhere in sight due to its politicisation, all out efforts were made to work on DBD in 2007. By 2010 design and tender documents of the project were ready and consensus of all provinces for its construction was also obtained through CCI. However World Bank declined to finance a major chunk of its estimated cost for being located in disputed territory between two rival neighbours. Thereafter Asian Development Bank took 3 years in reviewing and revising tender documents to meet its guidelines, but failed to commit financing of the project. Due to both WB and ADB not taking any lead role in financing USD 12.6 billion project, GoP could not start construction of DBD except for excavation of exploratory adits (tunnels) and infrastructure (colonies and roads) and had been befooling people with 4 inaugurations by various heads of state. Thus we have lost another decade in pursuit of alternative to Kalabagh Dam. A comparison of Kalabagh Dam and Diamer Dam is given below. Comparison Kalabagh Dam Diamer Bhasha Dam Project Features Type of Dam Earth fill Embankment Roller Compacted Concrete Est. Cost $ 6.1 billion $ 12.6 billion Const. Period 5-7 years 8-10 years Length / Height 3350 m / 79 m 1169 m / 272 m Live Storage 6.1 MAF 6.4 MAF Catchment Area 286,100 sq.km 115,000 sq.km Avg. Ann. Run-of 90 MAF 50 MAF Prox to Fault Line NONE YES Generating Capacity 3,600 MW (Expandable) 4,500 MW Annual Energy 11,400 million units 18,000 million units Transmission Voltage 220/500 kV 760 kV Transmission Losses Reasonable Highest Interconnection Terrain Plane Lands Most difficult (+4000 m) Proximity to Load Cntr. YES NO (+750 km far) -- Benefits to Provinces Water for Irrigation All Provinces Not for KP Hydel Profit KP + Punjab KP + Northern Areas Flood Control KP + Punjab + Sindh Minimal (upto Tarbela Dam) So, if we want to make Pakistan prosperous and save our grandchildren from famine, let us make a mega storage dam which is better, cheaper and simpler to construct.