The Punjab Senior Minister Raja Riaz Ahmad, who also holds the portfolio of the Irrigation Department, has said that the provincial government has conducted feasibility of building reservoirs at Chiniot and Marala to meet the water deficiency on account of construction of Baglihar Dam on the River Chenab. While addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, the minister said the construction of the disputed dam has heavily damaged our agriculture sector. PML (N) President Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa, Punjab Minister Agriculture Ahmad Ali Aulakh and Punjab Minister for Law, Rana Sanaullah were also present on the occasion. Ahmad Ali Aulakh said that the scarcity of water in the River Chenab badly hit the paddy crop in Sialkot, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Narowal and Nankana Sahib districts that reduced from the projected target of 7 million tonnes to 6 million tonnes. Speaking on the occasion, Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa said that prior to the construction of Baglihar Dam, the water inflow at Marala used to remain 55,000 cusecs, which stood at 20,000-21,000 cusecs last year because of uninterrupted flow of water in the River Chenab. As many as 9.1 million acres of land in Punjab province depend upon River Chenab for irrigation and the construction of the disputed dam has caused severe damage to the agricultural productivity of the province. Giving details, Khosa said that 5.6 million acres of land of Sialkot, Narowal, Hafizabad, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang and Nankana Sahib had been directly affected due to scarcity of water in the river. Besides, the River Chenab water was also supplemented to the River Ravi to irrigate 3.5 million acres of land in Okara, Pakpattan, Vehari, Multan, Bahawlpur and Bahawalnagar districts. He said that first of all, dictator and Field Marshal Ayub Khan sold three rivers, including Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi to India during 1960. The other dictator General Zia ul Haq allowed India to construct Slasal Dam on River Chenab and India was also allowed stopping flow of water downside to Pakistan for six days to fill the water reservoir. Again Pervez Musharraf allowed construction of Baglihar Dam following which India could stop water for 26 days. India has also identified eight sites more for building dams and if another two dams were allowed to construct ahead of Baglihar Dam, India can stop water for three months which would cause damage the entire agriculture sector of the country, he added. He also said that Indian government did not allow Pakistani engineers and inspection team to visit Baglihar Dam. He disclosed that the Punjab Chief Minister has written letter to Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari so that they could be apprised of the damages caused by the Baglihar Dam.