Seven dams to be completed in Pakistan after 3 years

ISLAMABAD (APP) – The construction work on seven dams, currently in full progress, will be completed in next three years for the storage and availability of water for agriculture, controlling floods and generation of less expensive hydro power.

Giving details of dams, senior official of Ministry of Water and Power  said WAPDA was constructing these dams including

1. Gomal Zam Dam will be completed in 2011 at a cost of Rs.12,829 million.
2. Golan Gol Dam, cost of Rs.24,505 million, would be completed in 2014.
3. Gram Tangi Dam will be completed in 2014 at a cost of Rs.46,412.

He said work on
4. Daroint Dam will be complete in 2013 at a cost of Rs. 18,085 million.
5. Wander Dam will be completed in 2013 at cost Rs.12,412 million.
6. Ghabar Dam will be completed in 2013 at a cost Rs. 10,184 million.
7. Nolong Dam will be completed in 2013 at a cost of Rs.31,962 million.

To a question, he said the Gomal Zam Dam is the first-ever mega project in Federally Administered Tribal Areas and is being undertaken with the financial assistance of United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

 He said the dam would store 1.14 Million Acre Feet (MAF) of water to irrigate 163,000 acres of land and benefits of the project on account of flood mitigation have been estimated around US $2.6 million annually.

The power generaton capacity of the project will be 17.4 MW contributing 91 million units of electricity annually to national grid. USAID is providing US $ 40 million to complete the remaining works of the project at a crucial juncture when paucity of funds might have halted the construction activities on the project, he added.

Replying to a question, he said the Federal Government has provided Rs 3.9 billion to Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa authorities to acquire land for construction of country’s most vital project – Diamer-Bhasha Dam. Diamer-Bhasha Dam would be completed in 2019-20 at a cost of Rs.894.57 million, he added. The process of acquisition of land was underway and after its completion, work would start, most probably by end of this year.

To another question the official said Diamer Bhasha Dam was a mega project in the history of the country which would have positive impacts on the national economy.

He said the water storage will be 8.1 MAF and estimated annual benefits would be Rs 50.8 billion. He said electricity generation capacity of the project will be 4500 MW while annual estimated energy contribution will be 19 billion units with annual advantage of Rs 106.6 billion.