Bhasha feasibility study in hand: dams and reservoirs to be built after securing consensus

Federal Minister for Water and Power Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao has said that the nation suffers from a shortfall of ten percent in water resources which would grow to 25 percent in the next 20 years if water reservoirs and dams are not constructed in coming years.
The minister was talking to the Editorial Board of Business Recorder at its office on Monday.
Sherpao said that reservoirs of different capacity should be built after the consensus of all the provinces and stakeholders had been obtained.
He said General Ayub Khan was the first to take up the issue of dams and reservoirs and now, after a lapse of about 35 years, General Musharraf has taken it up. In view of the depletion of water resources its conservation should be given due consideration immediately. "It should not be politicised", he added.
He said that there should be a solution to this problem on the basis of need assessment. The need assessment should be on regional and national basis and in the greater interest of the people of Pakistan. "Water reservoirs are not for one province or for one set of people," he added.
The minister said that more than 45 percent of funds in the PSDP have been allocated for water and power sector. This allocation is indication enough of the seriousness of the government about water storage facilities at different places. "We know that there may be adverse effects of plans on some people but we are there to protect their interests."
Sherpao said that the height of Mangla Dam was being raised to protect the entire area against the possibility of flood. Feasibility report had been prepared and documentation had been completed.
Tenders would be floated next month (February 2004) and execution of physical work would begin in May 2004.
Sherpao said that the feasibility study on Bhasha dam is in progress. It would be completed during the next calendar year.
To sort out the issue of construction of dams, reservoirs and water conservation projects, the minister said two committees had been set up. One committee under Senator Nisar Memon would look into the political aspect and social and economic benefits, while the other headed by Abbasi would look into the technical aspect of the projects.
The two committees should complete their respective exercises in the next six months so that work on developing a consensus on all issues may be undertaken.
To a question the minister said that Bhasha dam project was not smaller than other projects, such as Kalabagh dam, but it faced less opposition. If the situation does not change, work on Bhasha could be initiated in two years time, he added.
Referring to Kalabagh dam the minister said that the fear of Mardan and Nowshera people about the construction of the dam had been taken care of. The highest level of water after the 1929 floods had been taken as the yardstick for the designing of the dam.
"I personally think that on the basis of statistics and other data we should design the dam, and make a presentation on the computer. It will give a realistic picture of the situation. This is my personal view of how the problem should be dealt with," Sherpao said.
Sherpao said that along with water conservation, economising on water use was equally necessary.
He said that that construction of water reservoirs, lining and remodelling of canals and on-farm water management were his priorities.
The minister said that the lining of canals had good as well as bad points. At some places it will save wastage and at some it would adversely affect underground/subsoil sweet water reservoirs. A thorough study of technical aspects of the project was necessary, as the impact would differ from place to place for various reasons and call for different solutions.
The minister said that three projects, two in the Punjab and one in Sindh, were being taken up to commence canal linings.
This work would gradually move to other canals in Sindh and Punjab and in the two other provinces as well.
The minister said that all work related to canal lining would be the joint responsibility of the provinces and the federal government.
The canals, 27,000 miles sweet water canals and 17 miles of saline water canals, would be lined in the initial stages. It is expected that in this way there would be saving of 46 million acre-feet of water.
To a question he said that preference for smaller dams and reservoirs over bigger projects or vice versa was not the real issue but what was needed was the realisation of need. "You have to find out the solution that suits you best."
The government was committed to building reservoirs and dams and it would do so to pre-empt any emergency that water shortage could cause, Sherpao said.
He said that water was being distributed among the provinces strictly in accordance with Indus Rivers System Authority (Irsa) decisions.
The historical use of water had never been ignored and water had been released to Sindh accordingly. He said that the 1991 water accord had never been renounced.
"During the last three droughts, at the behest of President Pervez Musharraf, Punjab gave more water to Sindh than its share," he added.
Sherpao said that discharge downstream Kotri had been a matter of dispute and that has now been settled on the basis of historical release/use of water.
He said he wanted people to keep politics away from water distribution system and begin thinking in terms of national interest.