Rs824bn flood protection plan sent to Council of Common Interests
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Water Resources has submitted the National Flood Protection Programme–IV (NFPP-IV), costing Rs 824.493 billion, to the Council of Common Interests (CCI) for approval, as provinces have declined to contribute their financial shares.
Testifying before the Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources, chaired by Senator Shahadat Awan, Secretary Water Resources Syed Ali Murtaza stated that a total of 375 schemes are included under NFPP-IV. These consist of 170 sub-projects in Phase-I at a cost of Rs 195.625 billion, while 205 sub-projects will be taken up in Phase-II with an estimated cost of Rs 629.868 billion. Of the total estimated outlay, provincial components stand at Rs 746.961 billion, whereas the federal share amounts to Rs 77.533 billion.
“All codal formalities of NFPP-IV have been completed, and we hope it will be approved by the CCI in its upcoming meeting,” the Secretary said.
The committee expressed serious concern over the lack of coordination between the Ministry of Water Resources, relevant agencies, and provincial governments regarding the removal of encroachments along riverbanks and nullahs. Despite the passage of a considerable period, 897 encroachments remain un-cleared.
The Secretary said his ministry can only write letters to relevant organisations and provinces to seek updates on the implementation of the Committee’s decisions, acknowledging that responses are often delayed. Taking note of his remarks, the Committee Chairman said the panel would write to the Prime Minister regarding the “helplessness” of a federal secretary.
The chairman granted an additional two months to the Ministry and the provinces to clear all encroachments along riverbanks and nullahs to protect lives and property from future flood damage.
The Secretary further informed the Committee that a draft bill for establishing a Dams Safety Council has been prepared with Asian Development Bank support under ADB’s TA 1036-PAK. The bill was discussed in a stakeholders’ consultation meeting on October 16, 2025, and is now being finalised.
He added that no viable storage options exist on the Ravi and Sutlej rivers, while dams are planned on the Chenab River at Chiniot.
The government also plans to install 520 new flood telemetry systems nationwide at a cost of Rs 39.934 billion. JICA will provide Rs 25.11 billion for 45 of these stations under an agreement to be signed soon in Tokyo, while the remaining 457 stations will be financed by the Asian Development Bank.
Wapda’s General Manager (Hydel) briefed the committee that the Chairman of WAPDA recently presented a detailed briefing to a high-level meeting chaired by the Prime Minister and attended by the Army Chief and provincial chief ministers. He noted that Wapda is currently implementing projects worth USD26 billion, including Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams. He highlighted that funding and security are the two critical factors for their timely completion.
He informed the committee that the Chenab River contributes 23 million acre-feet (MAF) of water annually to Pakistan’s irrigation system. All of the river’s catchment area lies in India, giving it the ability to alter Pakistan’s water supply through existing or future projects.
Over the past decade, Pakistan received 51 percent of western rivers’ water from India, while 49 percent was generated within Pakistan, Wapda officials said. They added that 29 percent of Indus River flows, 56 percent of Jhelum River flows entering Mangla, and all water entering the Chenab at Maralla originate from India. Officials warned that India can create water shortages for Pakistan via the Chenab.
Wapda also briefed the committee that Pakistan’s current population of 251 million will rise to 315 million by 2050, sharply increasing demand for water for food, energy and other needs. By 2050, an additional 60 MAF will be required for agriculture and 10 MAF for urban consumption — totaling 70 MAF.
Officials said steps are under way to enhance water storage capacity, with five short-term dam projects expected to be completed by 2030. According to the briefing: (i) Diamer-Bhasha Dam will store 8.1 MAF and generate 4,500 MW;(ii) Mohmand Dam will store 1.29 MAF and generate 800 MW;(iii) Kurram Tangi-II will store 1.2 MAF and produce 18.9 MW;(iv) Naulong Dam will store 0.3 MAF and generate 4.2 MW; and (v) Nai Gaj Dam will store 0.24 MAF and produce 4.4 MW. These projects will collectively enhance national water storage capacity by 11.13 MAF.
The Ministry also presented provincial data on encroachment removal: (i) Punjab: 1,790 out of 2,687 removed; 897 remain; (ii) Sindh: Only 6 out of 164 removed; 158 pending; (iii) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 126 out of 377 removed, 251 remain; and (iv) Balochistan: Several encroachments identified but none removed. Data from Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan has not been received.
Chairman Senator Shahadat Awan remarked: “One thing is clear—provinces are not doing their job, and neither SUPARCO nor the Ministry has delivered.” He directed that within two months, all provinces must work with the Ministry to bring encroachments down to zero.
The Committee took notice of the SUPARCO’s non-compliance regarding the verification report on the removal of encroachments. The Chairman Committee, with the consent of the members present in the meeting, directed that the matter of non-compliance by SUPARCO ought to be treated as breach of privilege of the Senate Standing Committee.
The Chair further directed the Secretary Ministry of Water Resources to ensure the presence of all relevant department heads in the next meeting, along with the attendees of the previous meeting, to avoid disruptions and to fix responsibility for any negligence.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025