Smaller Dams and Water Shortages

Pakistan does not have enough water resources now in view of the rising demands,reduction in the supply of river water,continuous lowering of the underground water table and uncertain rainfall.A person needs 1000 cubic meters of water per year which was available several times earlier,but not now,That is why the UN declared 2003 to be the international year of fresh water.

India has been constructing barrages and installing hydroelectricity plants across the rivers flowing into Pakistan in violation of the Indus Basin Treaty of 1964.This has reduced the flow of water to us.The water flow from Afghanistan into Pakistan is also in danger of being reduced when she starts working of water storage projects on rivers flowing into our country.

The population is increasing fast.The supply of clean drinking water is not increasing.Farms and industries need more water as more land comes under cultivation and new industries are set up.The supply of canal water is decreasing.Tube-wells do not pull enough water as the water table underground is going down.Factories and homes need cheap electricity.Electric energy is increasingly being produced by coal and gas, and so it is expensive.Electricity produced by water is much cheaper,but we do no have enough dams for enhancing its production.So,in the present situation, not only big dams like Kalabagh and Basha-Diamer,but also smaller dams and reservoirs are urgently required.These smaller dams will serve us well locally in water emergencies and possible wars.

We have a large number of flood-water streams in the Frontier and Punjab provinces.The underground streams in Balochistan are no secret.Small dams and reservoirs can be constructed at convenient places to store the water of these streams.This water can later by utilized for irrigation and other purposes.At the time of Independence, the small Namal dam on the Collar Nullah in the Mianwali District was the only reservoir in the country.Why can't we build such dams now in a large number when we have greater facilities of digging and construction and more funds?The flow,fall and force of the water in some of these dams and reservoirs can help us to generate hydroelectricity at cheap rates for local use.

Wasteful Expenditure on Ceremonies

Every now and then we have ceremonies of marriages,engagements,opening of new businesses,births of children,returns from pilgrimage,awards on successes and achievements,match wins, and so on.These are happy occasions on which we celebrate some changes or successes in life.

It is all very proper to have gatherings of friends and relations on the ceremonies that we perform together.What is objectionable is the fanfare,show, and unnecessary expenditure on them.It is strange that we do not share true feelings of joy and satisfaction with our friends and relations in frank talks and open laughter.We rather try to make an extravagant show of our clothes,possessions, and property on these occasions.

It is at the time of marriage that we witnesses the greatest and highest expenditure.If the girl's parents are rich,they like to hold grand functions on the occasion.Huge tents are erected of spacious marriage halls are hired with lavish(costly and impressive) decorations to please,impress, and satisfy the guests,especially,the boy's(or bridegroom's family), and then the general public.The marriage ceremony is preceded and followed by unnecessary functions,gatherings, and parties.Even the restrictions on the dinner or dishes to be served to the guests are disregarded.Separate,hidden arrangements are often made,away from the venue of the marriage, to serve a sumptuous (very expensive) dinner consisting of several courses.

The marriage ceremony,which should be simple and inexpensive according to our religious customs and traditions,is made an occasion of display of dowry,music,lighting, and presents from the guests and the wealth and resources of the bride and bridegroom.So it is pomp and show at the "walima" function or ceremony,the entertainment on the second day of marriage arranged by the bridegroom.

The other ceremonies,religious in general,held by our different classes are also as expensively arranged as possible.For example,the male child's birth ceremony is celebrated with uncalled-for(unjustified) pomp and show.The opening ceremony of a shop or organization is an occasion of highly wasteful.The ceremony of taking political office by a winning candidate in elections is celebrated showily and wastefully.The graduation ceremonies or of declaration of examination results or of winning scholarships are occasions of uncalled-for pomp and show(that is not needed). We should control expenditure on ceremonies.The money thus saved can be spent constructively on books and cultural activities like study tours,surveys of social evils, and help to the victims of injustices in society.