It seems the country may soon be strong-armed into putting all of its eggs in a basket with far too many holes. This past Saturday, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar warned that anyone who attempts to hinder the construction of new dams could soon find himself/herself facing a trial under Article-6 of the Constitution. This effectively means that individuals opposing the construction of the Diamer-Basha dam (and other dams) — as well as the incumbent government’s plan to crowd fund these mega infrastructure projects — could be declared as enemies of the state. The CJP’s statement does not help the cause of consolidating democratic norms and values. Furthermore, with Pakistan a mere seven years away from reaching critical water scarcity levels, it would be disastrous to restrict narratives on how to address this crisis. This is all the more important when the arguments against the Diamer-Basha project are considered. Large hydropower dams can prove too costly in absolute terms to deliver a positive risk-adjusted return. The 500 percent cost overrun of the Neelum-Jehlum hydel project is the most recent example of this phenomenon. Technical feasibility is also an issue, with Diamer’s hilly terrain making it difficult to take irrigation canals out from the dam and great potential for destructive seismic activity at the dam’s location. Additionally, large dams and other supply-side solutions are far from a cure for Pakistan’s water scarcity problem. The country is host to perhaps the most inefficient and wasteful canal system in the world. Groundwater reserves are quickly becoming contaminated because of open dumping and lack of access to safe toilets. Our agricultural sector is also far too dependent on highly water-intensive crops. Addressing these problems will be cheaper and offer greater benefits than major dams. There is also the issue of compensating those displaced by the construction of the Diamer-Basha dam, its environmental impact and the repercussions this project will have on Pakistan’s position in the international community, as the location of this dam is technically in a disputed territory. As such, it is hoped that the CJP will reconsider his statement. Pakistan has already suffered greatly throughout its history because free speech has been restricted in discourses surrounding major national issues. We must not fall prey to the same trap as we address water scarcity, lest the country make a poor investment it cannot recover from. * Published in Daily Times, September 17th 2018.