- Treasury, opposition unite in backing water reservoirs to curb flood devastation
- Defence Minister, PTI, PPP urge national consensus on water reservoirs, climate resilience
- Lawmakers term disaster man-made, stress urgent need for small and large dams to avert future crises
ISLAMABAD: Voices in support of building water reservoirs echoed across party lines in the National Assembly, as lawmakers expressed alarm over the unprecedented floods wreaking havoc in the country.
PTI MNA Ali Muhammad Khan called for a national policy on water reservoirs, while Defence Minister Khawaja Asif strongly advocated construction of both large and small dams, urging that the issue be kept above political differences.
The lawmakers’ concern over inadequate water storage facilities follows widespread inundation in Punjab due to torrential rains and water releases from India. Before Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir had already been battered by heavy rains, landslides and flash floods.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 874 people have lost their lives in rain and flood-related incidents since June 26. KP recorded the highest fatalities with 488 deaths, followed by Punjab’s 216, Sindh’s 58, Gilgit-Baltistan’s 41, AJK’s 37, Balochistan’s 26 and eight in Islamabad.
Defence Minister Asif recalled that Pakistan’s two major dams were built under military regimes, which managed to build consensus, while politicians wasted years in point-scoring. He stressed that construction of dams was essential, noting, “Raising bigger dams may take 10 to 15 years, but we can at least start with smaller dams to store water and control the situation.”
Calling the crisis a “man-made disaster,” he said encroachments on riverbeds had worsened the devastation. “Do not call it a natural calamity. Nature and rivers are taking revenge for occupying waterways and riverbeds,” he remarked. He cited the example of hotels and houses constructed on riverbeds in Swat and elsewhere, which were later swept away.
The National Assembly suspended its scheduled agenda, including question hour, to hold a debate on the floods. Asif said the time had come for self-accountability, recalling how a contractor-turned-senator from his city, Sialkot, had sold out plots on nullahs and riverbeds, later washed away by floods. He questioned how much land had been retrieved from encroachers in recent years. While supporting construction of the Mohmand Dam, he emphasised that smaller dams were an urgent priority.
He also underlined the need for a unified national response and a robust local government system to mitigate human suffering. “We need real devolution of power so people can be served at their doorsteps,” he said.
PTI’s Ali Muhammad Khan echoed the call for a national policy on water storage, recalling recent devastation in Buner, Swat, Mansehra and AJK. He urged that Parliament dedicate a session to long-term solutions for water management, highlighting that no mega dam of the scale of Tarbela or Mangla had been built in decades. He reminded the House that the Mohmand Dam was initiated during PTI’s tenure and urged the current government to speed up its completion.
“This Parliament can give the greatest gift to the nation by framing a comprehensive water storage policy, which will safeguard Punjab, KP, AJK and Sindh from recurring floods,” he said, stressing the need for unity.
PPP’s Naveed Qamar, meanwhile, emphasised that climate change, deforestation, encroachments and mismanagement of natural resources had aggravated disasters. Citing expert warnings, he said next year’s floods could be 22% more destructive, while long-term glacier melt could dry up major rivers, turning fertile lands into deserts.
Qamar insisted that Parliament was the only platform to build consensus and guide action. “Politics has its time, but in the face of national calamities, we must rise above partisanship and work together,” he said, calling for immediate preparations for future floods.
