Economy is considered to be the wealth of individuals, nations and the world at large. If a society is prosperous at all these levels, that age could be described as an economically prosperous era. A number of welfare activities automatically emerge out of an economically strong society.
The barren lands already lying unproductive in the vast districts of Dera Ismail Khan and Tank in NWFP need water for irrigation. The masses residing here need water to drink.
Any activity to uplift these people and develop their lands could prove good news for all folks of the same feathers.
In the Pashto language the word 'Zam' is used for moisture and the word 'Gomal' for a gust of cool breeze. The word 'Gomal Zam' combines the two missing factors in the local life, that is the water to drink and irrigate, and a favourable climate to breathe in and cultivate better.
Giving the historical background of the area, Sir Thomas Holdich in his book, "India", reports that the Gomal river emerges from the Koh-e-Suleman range which stretches from South Waziristan Agency to Jacobabad in Sindh. It is capable of changing the fortunes of the area.
Almighty Allah has blessed Pakistan with massive natural resources, enriching its farthest parts with them.
The southern districts of NWFP are among those blessed. Although very backward, yet they are gifted with natural resources like limestone, silica, iron, petroleum, gasoline and water.
The areas of Tank and D.I. Khan face severe water shortages. On my way to Kulachi Town from Dera Ismail Khan in the winter of 1993, I was surprised to locate number of ladies, with pitchers on their heads, along side donkeys carrying water in leather jackets, heading towards their homes from a far flung pond, with their daily requirements. These ladies on their way after a job that consumed their whole day.
The bus I was riding touched another area where I again found some women and girls with their male family members busy filling water in their pitchers and water jackets. Some thirsty passengers asked to stop for water.
The driver stopped and asked the passengers to quench their thirst from the pond. I also got out of the bus and went to the pond to examine the real picture.
I was shocked at plight of the people there. The water taken home by these people for drinking purposes was not even fit for their cattle. The donkeys, camels, dogs and people were all taking heavily muddled water from the pond.
I inquired from a male person about the availability of fresh drinking water. He thanked God for the pond and the rain which brought water to the pond for them. Taking a long sigh, he revealed that about ten villages were fed by this pond. He blamed the high ups and local politicians for this pitiable situation.
On my query about their health condition, he told the strange story of a farmer who had come to the pond and had drunk water paying no heed to the little insects in it. When he felt a pain in his stomach and started vomiting people gathered around him. With one heavy fit of vomiting, he spewed out a little snake.
The usage of unhygienic water for drinking purposes is the basic cause of a very dangerous disease known as "Naro", locally. I saw some aged persons at the pond with similar symptoms and marks on their hands, legs and feet. They were almost handicapped. Some had died of this deadly disease. The local passengers took the pond water without any hesitation.
All these events at the spot made me start thinking about possible solutions to the problem. The land seemed to be smooth and fertile. The arid land was lush green after recent rains.
The ponds were full of muddy water. Had there been a larger water reservoir, the same muddy water would have been crystal-clear due to its huge bulk and the mud would have settled to the bottom line.
This area has some Ruds and Khwars, that is hilly streams and torrents like the Nulluh Looni and the Zam Stream. Most of monsoon water is wasted because of the non availability of proper storage facilities.
I opened a local paper from Dera Ismail Khan and was mesmerised to see an article on the proposed Gomal Zam Dam Project. It absorbed me and a sudden jerk made me to come back to the real world. I had reached the town of Kulachi.
The President of Pakistan General Pervez Musharraf was requested to perform the ground breaking ceremony of the project. The real world was going to change.
President of Pakistan General Pervez Musharraf grace did the occasion and provided the local population enough space to breathe a sigh of relief.
The earth-breaking ceremony of the project was held on August 22, 2001. The project has been initiated under the "National Water Resource and Hydropower Development Programme Vision 2025."
The government also issued directives, to the concerned departments, to remove bottle-necks in its way and its construction work has commenced.
The Gomal Zam Dam is being constructed on the river Gomal in the west of Tank city at Kajhori Katch in South Waziristan Agency.
The dam is 437 ft high and 492 ft long and will be constructed in a period of four years. The water storage capacity of the dam is 1.14 million acre feet and it will irrigate one lac and 63 thousand acres land of D.I. Khan and Tank districts. It will also generate 17.4 MW of electrical energy to resolve local energy problem.
It is quite an old project. The idea was generated in the 1880's. A bit of struggle was put up for its construction at that time. Afterwards, another scheme for the storage of flood water and its utilisation for irrigation and hydro-electric power was formulated in 1951-52. It included the construction of a 250 ft high concrete dam along with a safety dyke.
The dream at last has come true with the initiation of its construction, after a long period of 120 years.
An engineering, procuring and constructing contract was awarded to a Chinese construction firm on June 11, 2002 at an amount of Rs 4 billion and 30 crore, the lowest quoted bid.
It was the 2nd contract awarded in the public sector on these grounds. The firm will be responsible for designing, procuring and constructing this project and is liable to hand over it to WAPDA on a turnkey basis.
Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia are providing 50 million and 40 million US dollars respectively for its execution. It is worth mentioning that the total bid amount for the completion of the project, Rs 4 billion and 300 million, is merely half of the estimated cost.
The feasibility report for the Gomal Zam Dam was conducted by the Yugoslavian firm M/s Energo Project in 1963. According to the report, the height of the dam was decided at 500 feet to irrigate 0.1 million acre lands in Dera Ismail Khan and generate 127 MW of electrical energy for the area.
According to the technical details, the Government of Pakistan allocated 20 crore rupees for its construction and initial work for the construction of its structure started in early 1964. However, it was wound up in 1965, due to the 6th September war between Pakistan and India.
The work was reinitiated after a lapse of 18 years and a French company completed the final engineering report in October 1983. The firm also submitted a feasibility report in 1990 about the design of the dam, the power house and other necessary infrastructures including the irrigation system for the command area.
The said company actually reviewed the feasibility report, generated in 1995, for creating an irrigation system and building a power house under the said project.
WAPDA included the Gomal Zam Dam Multipurpose Project in its "National Water Resource and Hydropower Development Programme Vision 2025." The project comprised the construction of a 437 feet high and 492 feet long concrete dam to store 1.14 MAF of water and a 848 cusecs main canal to feed the irrigation system to be built under the project.
It also included 63 KM long outlet and 203 KM long distributaries.
Work has started for the acquisition of land for the construction of the main canal, sub-canals and distributaries in the Tehsil of Kulachi and the Districts of Tank and Dera Ismail Khan.
The North Western Frontier Province Government has appointed a Land Acquisition Collector for the purpose. The Gomal Zam project will not dislocate any person at the dam site.
The people await a sustained water reservoir facility for their agricultural and municipal needs.
They are, now for the first time, witnessing a coveted mega, multipurpose water and hydropower project coming up, courtesy WAPDA, to cater to their socio-economic uplift through increased agricultural activity with other direct and indirect benefits, including employment opportunities for locals on a sustained basis. A new era is bound to dawn with the completion of the project in 2005-06.
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