LAHORE, July 13: The Punjab Water Council on Wednesday demanded scrapping of the Technical Committee on Water Resources and asked President Pervez Musharraf to individually take a decision on Kalabagh dam. Rabia Sultan and Hamid Malhi of the council said at a press conference the committee was formed by the president two years ago and since then it had been given four deadlines to complete its work — the latest deadline expired on June 30 — but it had failed to deliver.

Despite spending nearly Rs20 million, it had not been able to produce a single report. They alleged that the committee chairman resorted to threats of quitting whenever a deadline got closer to expiry. “He keeps threatening and finds his way to a new deadline. This has been going on for the last two years, but the committee has not been able to come to any conclusion,” they regretted.

In these circumstance, they said, the president must act on his own instead of waiting for an elusive consensus. The present floods had necessitated the need for another dam so that the country could regulate floodwater and avert devastation.

They said the country was going through an ironic situation in that it was facing the wrath of floodwaters, but still not getting water for Rabi crops.

“The situation should have served as an eye-opener and the president must move as he did in case of war on terror and is expected to act in case of the National Finance Commission,” they said.

“The issue of a new dam is as important as are other issues like terrorism or NFC afflicting the country,” he added.

During the last four months, the technical committee had not been able to meet, they claimed, and asked what should one expect of it. The decision on a new dam was based on facts, figures and logic.

Flanked by Umer Sarfarz Cheema and Tariq Bucha, they also blamed the Punjab politicians for failing to highlight the issue. There was no one else to blame, they said, but politicians from the Punjab who remained silent for petty interests.

Ms Sultan and Mr Malhi stressed that the country needed a series of dams; Kalabagh dam would only be the first of many. By the time Kalabagh dam would be completed in 2012, the country would lose 36 per cent of its water storage to siltation. So, it would only be recovering for the loss and restore the country’s water status as it was in 1976.

“One can imagine apathy of water planners; in 2012 the country would still be at a stage where it was in 1976. Even that kind of progress is being hobbled by the vested interests in the country and those supporting them are also partners in a national crime.”

The president, they said, must dissolve the committee and take control of the situation. Otherwise, the country ran the risk of losing steam and end up strengthening the Indian argument that since Pakistan was developing its water resources, India as an upper riparian had every right to do so.