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However, by the specified time period the water reservoir may eventually run dry,
ceasing their year-around water supply to the glacier-fed rivers. This would slash
the potentials capacity of the hydroelectric power plants in the entire region,
what, in turn, will lead to blackouts and the severe shortage of the electricity
in this part of the world, and Pakistan too would be no exception. For countries,
which rely heavily on this sort of energy, decline in hydroelectric generation
would definitely have serious economic consequences on many different levels.
Developing countries that are already suffering due to severe energy crisis, and
where national income depends on hydroelectric production would be greatly
affected. Cut in the sources of the hydroelectric energy would also reason to
revive use of the conventional energy, such as fuel burning, it would contribute
more to global warming.
In due course of time, glaciers meltdown will decline reserves of drinking water
in the entire region, which will affect millions of human lives. There will be
increased demand for water throughout the subcontinent. The relevant quarters in
Pakistan are of the view that Himalayan glaciers had been thinning and receding
over the past few years, with losses going faster to alarming levels in the past
decade. It was also indicated in certain reports that the retreating trend of
glaciers, pointed out that the depletion was happening more rapidly on the Eastern
region than the Western side of Himalayas from where Pakistan's rivers get fed.
It is estimated that hydroelectric future of the country would be in range of
38,000 MW, 4,825 MW of which has been tapped up till now. On the Indus River,
Kalabagh Dam is a multi-purpose hydroelectricity irrigation scheme that could have
yielded an additional 2,400 MW generation capability to the WAPDA and has long
been recognised officially as a potential scheme. The future of Kalabagh Dam is
still to be decided.
Situation demands us to be serious, think positively, and a constructive, timely
and long-term plan should come out to meet the circumstances. It's our job to
safeguard the future of our coming generations. If we can chalk out right
strategy, without wasting of anymore time, we should make arrangements for storage
water that would otherwise be drained to Arabian Sea.