Senate committee dissatisfied with Mohmand dam contract

Company assigned development job had earlier failed to build reservoir in Balochistan

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources has recommended incorporation of projects dropped from current financial year's Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) in the next year’s plan on a priority basis.

The committee decided in a meeting chaired by Senator Shamim Afridi to visit the site of Chiniot dam to get firsthand knowledge on the situation. It expressed its displeasure over the absence of Punjab Irrigation Department officials from the meeting and summoned the chief secretary and provincial irrigation secretary to the next session.

The committee was told that officials of the Punjab Irrigation Department were summoned for briefing about Chiniot dam but they did not come. The members demanded calling high ranking officers of the department for an explanation. They complained that the committee was not being taken seriously.

The panel also called upon officers of the Ministry of Planning and Development and Ministry of Finance to brief it about development projects.



During a discussion on Mohmand dam, a representative of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) told the committee that the bidding process for the project had already been completed and financial issues were being discussed.

The committee’s members raised objections over granting of the Mohmand dam construction project on a single bid basis. The committee said that a company that did not qualify to construct a small dam was awarded a mega project like Mohmand dam. It further said that the company had earlier failed to construct a dam in Balochistan.

The committee decided to convene another meeting on Mohmand dam soon.

Furthermore, officials of Engineering Services briefed the committee about Gawalien dam, saying that 98 per cent work had been completed. The officials said the age of the dam was 74 years. Senator Sabir Shah said the dam became empty within two days after filling, which indicated that there was seepage.

Officials of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Irrigation Department told the committee that seepage could be controlled within six to seven years. The committee members decided to visit the site and review the situation.

Officials of the Balochistan Irrigation Department briefed the committee about the construction of Halak dam, stating that the project was included in the PSDP of current financial year but had been dropped. Now the project could only be included in the PSDP with the approval of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP).

Deliberating on the division of water between Sindh and Balochistan, the secretary of water resources expressed hope that reservations between the two provinces would be removed in the next CCI meeting, which was expected next month.