Construction of Nai Gaj Dam: SC directs federal and Sindh govts to give timeline

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Wednesday directed the federal and the Sindh governments to give timeline for the construction of Nai Gaj Dam.

Joint Secretary Ministry of Water Resources informed that all the documentation for the construction of Nai Gaj Dam had been completed.

The federal and the Sindh governments have given approval of the project, but the progress was hindered due to non-approval of the PC-I by the ECNEC.

Additional Attorney General (AAG) Sajid Ilyas Bhatti told that, after seeking instruction from the federal government, will file the report.

A two judge-bench headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, heard the suo motu regarding pricing mechanisms and management of the usage of water.

The chief justice noted that the apex court had already order for the construction of Nai Gaj Dam, and the federal and the Sindh governments agreed on it.

He said that the project was pending in the files for a considerable time.

"We hope the federal and the Sindh governments take the matter seriously and construct the dam expeditiously."

Nai Gaj Dam is an embankment dam currently under construction on the Gaj River in the gorge area at the edge of Kirthar Mountains range at about 65 kilometres (40 mi) north-west of Dadu district, Sindh.

When complete, its power station will have a 4.2MW installed capacity.

Construction of the dam started in May 2012.

Initially planned to be completed in three years, the project has been heavily delayed, increasing its cost from an initial estimate of Rs17 billon to a revised Rs47.7 billion in 2019, with a completion now expected in mid-2021.

Around 51 percent of the construction work was completed as of 2018.

The federal and all the provinces and the Islamabad Capital Territory submitted reports about pricing mechanisms and management of the usage of water.

The chief justice ordered the SC office to supply the copy of the reports to the amicus curie, who on the next date of hearing will assist the court regarding the matter. The case was adjourned for a month.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020