What is Kalabagh Dam? and why is there so much fuss about it?

Almost every Pakistani would have heard about Kalabagh Dam project and also aware of the resistance against the project.

I'm gonna tell you all about the Kalabagh Dam Project.

What is Kalabagh?

Kalabagh Dam Location

Kalabagh is a town in Mianwali District, Punjab. It is situated on the western bank of the river Indus.

Due to its geographical importance, it is considered to be a very good place for a dam to be constructed. 

In 1979, a project for the construction of the dam called Kalabagh Dam started.

It had the approval of all the four provinces but after the execution of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the project has been very controversial. This controversy has been given ethnic and political color.

Despite the political resistance, the work on Kalabagh Dam continued for some time until it was halted finally.

Political parties of Sindh and KPK mainly, have reservations about the Kalabagh Dam. People of these two provinces also have some reservations of their own but the controversy is mainly because of the political parties.

Why is this project opposed?

This project is opposed for different reasons.

Some question the feasibility of the project but it is not much an issue because the basic plan of the construction of the dam had been worked out a long time ago.

Provincial assembly of KPK province rejected the Kalabagh Dam project because it feared that the Nowshera would drown in the river water. It is feared that the level of the river water would rise due to dam and Nowshera being at the lower level would drown completely.

Sindhi's have their own reservations. They fear that Punjab would get all the water by building the dam and they would be deprived of the water, affecting irrigation there.

Since Sindh touches Arabian sea so the fresh water from the Indus river is holding back the sea-water. Thus irrigation is possible.

They fear that if the water level of the Indus river is decreased it would not be able to hold back sea-water. Marine water would not only make land infertile but also not suitable for other usages.