LAHORE: The federal government released Rs 360 million funds for the under-construction Darawat Dam Project, located in Thatta and Jamshoro districts. Following release of the much-needed funds, the construction work at site will gain a new momentum leading towards timely completion of the project.

The funds have been released on the special instructions issued by Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, and because of the efforts made by Federal Water and Power Minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar for the purpose.

The project’s main dam is likely to be completed by December this year, while irrigation system is scheduled to be completed in June 2013.

Darawat Dam, being constructed across Nai Baran River some 70 kilometres west of Hyderabad, is a component of Wapda’s plan to construct small and medium-sized dams in addition to its mega projects in water and hydropower sectors.

The President had directed Wapda to construct a number of small and medium-sized dams in the four provinces and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) for socio-economic development of the people residing in remote areas. These projects are being taken up in the areas, which cannot be irrigated through Indus Basin Irrigation System with a view to optimal utilisation of water and land resources available in the country.

Darawat Dam Project will help store water for irrigated agriculture, mitigate floods, provide employment opportunities and emancipation of women. The concrete-faced rock-filled dam is 820-feet long and 141 feet high, which will store about 120,000 acre feet of water to help irrigate 25,000 acres, besides creating 4,500 employment opportunities during the construction, operation and its maintenance. Annual benefits of the project have been estimated more than Rs one billion. Life of the project’s water reservoir will be more than 100 years.

It is pertinent to mention that the federal government has announced to provide up to 25 acres of land per person to poor women belonging to the project area.