Daily Times

Sir: If you go to the US Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley Division web page, it states: “Civil Works mission is varied and wide-ranging. Its multi-purpose projects provide benefits for navigation, flood risk management, hydropower production, fish and wildlife, environmental stewardship, recreation, irrigation and municipal water supply.” Basically the Mississippi River is being managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers instead of a civil government-run organisation.

To streamline the process of feasibility study, planning, designing, financing and building of small dams, irrigation and hydropower projects, an organisation similar in structure to what the US Army Corps of Engineers does in the US should be set up in Pakistan. It could be called the Dam Works Organisation (DWO). The staff could consist of Army Corps of Engineers officers, experienced dam builders from WAPDA and the provincial dam organisations.

Because of rapid increase in population, water shortage will get even worse in the coming days when Pakistan will have the third largest population in the world. If a start is made today, maybe our children and grandchildren will not have to run after a bottle of water.

In today’s Pakistan, due to lack of good governance, leadership, accountability, funding and excessive corruption, most government organisations are unable to perform at their optimal level. It is therefore advisable that a DWO should be set up at the earliest with a target to build enough small dams so that there is 100 days of water storage, instead of just 30 days at present. The achievement of this target should be set for 2025.

SYED HUSSEIN EL-EDROOS

Islamabad