Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has attributed the recent flood damage to riverbed and natural waterways and calls on the government to prioritize the construction of small dams instead of decades of planning to initiate mega projects.
When talking on the floor of the National Assembly on Monday, Defense Minister said rain is a blessing, not an accident, and called on the nation to take responsibility for the consequences, caused by intervention as well as poor urban planning.
“Rain is a blessing. The destruction is caused because we have built housing communities and commercial structures on land that belong to rivers and storm water drains,” noted Asif.
He pointed out that many residential and business developments have been built illegally in flooding areas, including in cities such as Sialkot, where interventions have blocked the river routes, worsening the effect of flooding.
The Minister of Defense also criticized the country’s long -standing dependence on building mega frames, which often take decades to end, suggesting that small dams should be prioritized at the village level for controlling water and reducing flooding risks effectively.
“Big dams like Bhasha, Diamer and Mohmand take 10 to 15 years to build. When we wait for them, we risk losing everything. We have to start building small dams – every village should have its own,” he said.
