Next budget to include 12 dams for Pindi division

Daducha dam project in court, over compensation amount

RAWALPINDI:

The Punjab government has approved to include a dozen small dams in the provincial development programme for the next financial year of 2021-22, officials said on Saturday.

As per budget proposals being prepared by the establishment, funds will be allocated for the construction of 12 small dams in the four districts of the division Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Jhelum and Attock.

The reservoirs will help meet the drinking and irrigation needs of the otherwise arid areas, Rawalpindi Division Commissioner Muhammad Mahmood said. Preparations for the construction of four dams have already started he said.

The four dams to be constructed in Rawalpindi district include Daduchha Dam, Papin Dam, Mahutta Dam, and Mujahid Dam. These rain-fed reservoirs will irrigate 4,500 acres of land in the Potohar region.

The project cost of Daduchha Dam is Rs6 billion, Papin Dam is Rs5 billion, Mujahid Dam and Mahuta Mohra Dam Rs2 billion each, as per official documents.

One of project Chahan Dam is almost complete but no work has been started to supply six million gallon daily (MGD) water from the reservoir to seven union councils of Rawalpindi due to insufficient funds.

Due to the delay, the project cost has increased from Rs5.3 billion to Rs6.7 billion. The Punjab government approved the project worth Rs5.3 billion to bring six MGD water from Chahan Dam in 2018. The dam near Chakri is being constructed on River Sill Kus. It is located 22 km from the garrison city.

Moreover, the provincial government is likely to set aside Rs1 billion for Sora Dam in Attock, the project cost of Bara Dam is estimated at Rs750 million and Senderya Dam is Rs250 million. The provincial government is expected to invest around Rs2.5 billion on Pindori Dam in Jhelum and Rs1.5 billion on Dharabi Dam in Chakwal District to irrigate 6,400 acres of land.

The cost of Mehr Shera Dam has been estimated at Rs680 million, Taman Dam in Talagang will cost Rs1.5 billion and Ghabar Dam will cost Rs5 billion.

According to Commissioner Mahmood work on Daduchha Dam, Papin Dam, Mujahid Dam and Mahuta Dam has been started and these projects will be completed in a record time of two years. Along with these dams, amusement parks will also be constructed. Dams will also have a boating service. Along with all these dams, water pipes will also be laid to supply water to the local population.

The Daducha Dam project has, however, ran into snags due to the protest of the landowners on the amount of compensation.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7^th, 2021.