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River Neelum in danger: edit in The Nation, Oct 25

Parliament’s Special Committee on Energy Crisis has called for a speedy completion of the Neelum Jhelum project in order to stop India from diverting the course of the river. This is one of those tributaries on which depends a large part of our agriculture and hence it is highly important that it keeps flowing free of interruption, as the Indus Waters Treaty stipulates. The entire belt along the river runs the risk of turning into a wasteland, and downstream throughout the country. The ensuing water shortage will be impacting on the food security a scenario full of scary prospects.

This is, however, an indication that the government has become conscious of its water rights under the IWT. But just making warning calls is not enough to stop the open violation of the treaty. Whatever it intends doing must be done quickly for the water shortage already has become a serious problem. The other day, a report revealed that the major dams and reservoirs’ storage capacity has dwindled greatly. Indeed, the two big dams Tarbella and Mangla are nearing their extinction due to silting and the shortage grows acute owing to a number of dams up in the held Valley. Sadly, Kalabag dam remains a taboo word for many of the parliamentarians. For Pakistan whose economy is largely agrarian, water is life that no one should be allowed to take it away from it. High time we asserted ourselves.

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/editorials/25-Oct-2012/river-neelum-in-danger

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