The government has reduced number of small dams projects planned to be constructed in Balochistan for storing drinking water and irrigation from 83 to 63 and is likely to further reduce the number in upcoming mini-budget.
This was stated by the Federal Secretary Water Resources Shamail Ahmad Khawaja while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources here on Wednesday, which met under the chairmanship of Senator Shamim Afridi.
The chairman committee said that most of the planned dams in Balochistan are for the storage of drinking water and the committee will not let the government stop funding for these projects. The committee members said that the federal government and other concerned authorities must take water shortage issues in Balochistan seriously. They said that the committee will draft recommendations on the subject of water shortage in Balochistan province and will forward to the federal government to add these projects in Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) on priority basis.
The panel directed the Ministry of Energy Water and Power Division to incorporate the projects dropped from current financial year's PSDP in the next financial year on priority basis. Senator Shamim Afridi and other members decided to visit the site of Chiniot Dam being built on River Chenab with a cost of Rs 60 billion to get the firsthand knowledge about the latest situation.
The officials of Irrigation Department Balochistan briefed the committee about the construction of Halak Dam, saying that the project was part of the PSDP in Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) government's presented budget for financial year 2018-19 but later new government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf presented a mini-budget and dropped it from PSDP. The officials said now the project could only be included in the PSDP with the approval of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP).
The committee also expressed serious anger over the absence of the officials of the Punjab Irrigation Department from the meeting and directed the concerned officials to send senior officials of the Punjab Irrigation Department in the next committee meeting. The committee summoned chief secretary Punjab and secretary irrigation Punjab to attend the next meeting of the committee.
The committee was told that the officials of Punjab Irrigation Department were summoned to brief the committee about Chiniot Dam but they did not turn up. The members protested and demanded the summoning of high ranking officers of Punjab Irrigation Department to explain their position. They complained that the committee was not being taken seriously.
The committee also summoned the officers of Ministry of Planning and Development and Ministry of Finance to brief the committee about development projects. The committee also decided to convene another meeting soon on the issue of Mohmand Dam.
A representative of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPA) told the committee that the bidding process of Mohmand Dam has already been completed and financial issues are being discussed currently which obviously take time.
The officers of Engineering Services briefed the committee about Gawalien Dam, saying that 98 percent work on the dam has already been completed. The age of dam is 74 years. Senator Sabir Shah said that the dam becomes empty within two days period after filling, which indicates some seepage.
The officials of Irrigation Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, told the committee that the seepage could be controlled within a period of six to seven years. The members decided to visit the site of the dam to inspect the prevailing situation and get a detailed briefing from the quarters concerned.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019

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