Pakistan is situated in the watershed of Indus river having 154 million acre feet annual run off. The Indus river not only serves as the lifeline of the country's agriculture but also capable as power machine of Pakistan. Indus has provided the world's oldest and largest canal Irrigation system to the country coupled with production potential of more than 50,000MW cheap electricity.

Pakistan is water scarce country i.e. less than 1000m³ per capita water resources and contrarily has suffered from the world's worst flood disaster in 2010. This situation warrants management of water resources of the country, specially the watershed of river Indus. The territory of almost entire area of Pakistan constitute watershed of river Indus. The flow of Indus is trans-country and runs throughout its length of more than 1700km from northern high peaks to Arabian Sea in the south. This provides maximum opportunity for irrigating the plains situated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Balochistan and Sindh while flowing from north to south. The precipitation received in the catchments of Indus is in the form of snowfall during December to March and the monsoon rain during the summer. The precipitation received both in the form of winter snowfall and monsoon rains is almost of equal quantity. The snowfall occurs at the extreme north in Mansehra, Swat, Upper Dir, Chitral, Indus Kohistan districts and the province of Gilgit Baltistan. The monsoon precipitation is observed in south to the snowfall areas, overlapping some of the snowfall areas in the catchment of river Indus. When the snow accumulated during the winter in the extreme north of the country melts during the summer, about half million cusecs water is produced in Indus river. The water resulted from the snow melting on its way flowing towards south, joins the runoff water of the same quantity received through monsoon rains in the low lying areas during these months and thus the quantity of water is doubled in the Indus Basin. The result is thus floods of more than a million cusecs as experienced in 2010. This unfortunate phenomenon is a matter of routine in our country with slight fluctuation in the intensity of floods every year.

In the months of June and July, we witness floods and its resultant devastations and the havoc played with our crops and economy. Likewise, from October till February of the next year we face acute water shortage for our crops irrigation. The floods during the summer months not only destroy life and property but also result in loss of valuable water that could be stored for crops during water shortage periods.

Pakistan is an agricultural country having 70% population dependent upon agriculture with non-significant water storage capacity to meet its agricultural needs. During the year 2003, the water storage capacity was 13.64 MAF of its three reservoirs (Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma) which is around 9% of total (154MAF) runoff water. Contrary to this India has 245 MAF storage capacities through 4636 reservoirs which is 33% of its total 750 MAF runoff water. Total water storage capacity throughout the world is 8000 MAF which is 40% of 20,000 MAF, world total runoff. Keeping in view the statistics, construction of dams at Naran on river Kunhar, Basha on main Indus and Jaglot and Kadzghara on Skardu river is warranted. Similarly Utror and Ushu on river Swat, Munda and Sharmai on river Panjkora and Seen Lasht, Kari and Kesu on River Chitral along with multipurpose dam and a diversion tunnel to Dir Upper on Chitral river at Mirkani. The existing water flow in river Indus is fluctuating between 50,000 Cusec and 1,200,000 Cusec. The ideal management will be constant flow of 2,92,987 Cusecs water round the year in the river system which is easily practicable given the watershed dynamics of Pakistan.

Construction of the dams will perform like safety valve during floods season and will enable us to keep uniform flow of water in the Indus basin. Water storage capacity will be increased which can be utilized during dry months for agriculture purpose. The dams will help in resolving the severe energy crisis which Pakistan is facing these days. At present, thermal power houses run by furnace oil and natural gas, contribute 70% of the total power generated in the country contrary to 1980, when the generation ratio was 80% hydel and 20% thermal. Thermal power, drains foreign exchange for purchase of fuel as at present the consumption of furnace oil alone is 35,000 Matric Tons per day in addition to natural Gas and other hydrocarbons. The result is reflected in shape of Gas and electricity load shedding apart from environmental hazards. Combustion of hydrocarbons in thermal power plants is reducing the oxygen four times the weight of hydrocarbon used in the power plants and is therefore detrimental to the very existence of life on this planet.

The arrangements proposed in this study will not only regulate the flow of water for agriculture but power generation on cheaper rates will be ensured. The additional water storage of 40 million Acre feet will be sufficient for irrigation of additional 20 million Acre agriculture land. The estimated hydel power generation from these dams is 26,515MW cheap electricity. The hydro electric power generation from construction of these dams will generate annual revenue of Rs.2312.7 billion @ Rs.10 per unit apart from providing relief in consistency and cost of power to the citizens of the country. The new 20 million acre land brought under irrigation on utilization of the additional water stored in these reservoir will add Rs.5,000 billion per year to the GDP @ Rs.25,000 per acre average crop price. Also the annual losses sustained by the country to the tune of Rs.100 billion will be prevented and the miseries faced by the nation will be brought to an end. This tremendous revenue is capable of setting off the whole debt of the country in less than 6 months. Harnessing the hydel power potential will open new era of development, employment opportunity to the world No.1 largest youth force of the country, this will close the option for the unemployed youths to join militants.