AN interesting proposal has been floated by a group of senators that the money collected under the so-called dam fund can be used to build small dams in Balochistan. Their argument is that the amount that has been collected — Rs9bn — will make a far more meaningful contribution if used for building small dams rather than mega ones like Diamer Basha, or even the Rs300bn behemoth that is the planned Mohmand dam. Some might argue that collection is still under way, but it is worth taking into account that at the present rate of accumulation, the funds will not amount to any meaningful contribution for large dams for many more years. Moreover, since the Supreme Court has already mandated that the funds be used only for the actual building of the dam, and not for any of the other work leading up to the construction, such as the hiring of consultants, land acquisition or compensation to displaced people, it is clear that the money will sit in the respective accounts for almost a decade. It is worth wondering whether any sort of plan has been put in place to invest the amount safely in the meantime so that its value does not diminish in the years ahead.

The idea to utilise the funds for the construction of small dams in Balochistan has merit because for this purpose the funds are sufficient to pay for a couple of dozen such projects, from which many thousands of people can draw lasting benefit. Since the funds will be used directly for dam construction, no major reprogramming of the purpose of the fund would be required, other than to change the name of the project. Moreover, the original purpose of the contributions — to help with development of water resources in the country — would be perfectly fulfilled in a targeted manner. The small dams would directly help increase access to drinking and irrigation water for those segments of the population that most need it.

Out of all the provinces, Balochistan is facing the bleakest prospects when it comes to water security. The people of the province are forced to resort to the unregulated extraction of groundwater from tube wells. The state has played a role in incentivising this by providing a subsidy on power used to run tube wells in Balochistan. The sheer dearth of surface storage in the province means people have been pushed into reducing their future water reservoirs. Quetta, for example, is on its way to becoming a desert with its rapidly falling ground water table, which has dropped by up to 30m since 1989, according to one study. Beyond Quetta, the province’s water needs rank near the top of its development priorities, so the senators have done the right thing by flagging it as a worthy recipient for the dam fund contributions. The Supreme Court should consider the proposal.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2019