Project to build mini dams, ponds approved

The projects will help store rainwater in dense forests of Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI:

The project to build mini dams and large ponds to store rainwater in all dense forests of Rawalpindi district has been approved. These water reservoirs will lead to improved aquatic life and raise bird migration in the dense forests.

In case of fire, water from dams and ponds will provide quick and timely help while the birds and wild animals will also be able to consume the water. The water reservoirs will be constructed in the dense forests of Rawalpindi, Kahuta, Lehtar, Panjar, Kotli Satyan, and Kallar Syedan.

Forests Administrator Saqib Mehmood Sheikh said that the land and natural environment of these forests is already suitable for the project, however it just needs to be managed.

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He said that rainwater will be stored in the small mini dams and ponds where different fish will also be released with the help of the fisheries department. These fish will be a source of bird food due to which they will stop migrating from Rawalpindi.

Sheikh said that dengue larvae could not be produced in the water where there is aquatic life, as these are the best food for fish and frogs. The forest administrator said that the project will create a new breeding ground for wild birds in dense forests.

Three large ponds have been built for far which have a good amount of water from the ongoing monsoon rains, said Sheikh.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14^th, 2021.