Surah Dam’s cost surges as govt halts funding

The estimated cost of the under-construction Surah Dam on a wide land of Mujahid Gangal of Chak Bailey Khan village adjacent to Mari Jabbar Road near Rawat in the Rawalpindi district has escalated to Rs5 billion from Rs3.5 billion owing to the slow pace of work for over three years.

If the construction work on the dam is not resumed by June 30, the estimated cost could further surge to Rs5.5 billion.

Due to continuous delays, its built roads, culverts and embankments have also started to crumble.

Along with the dam, a large amusement park with modern facilities was to be built here and a small hydroelectric power system was to be installed at the dam site to meet the drinking water and irrigation needs of the entire area.

Almost 60 to 65 per cent of construction work on the dam has been completed and all paved roads leading to the dam site have started crumbling. The construction of the dam was stopped by the caretaker government of Punjab in May 2018.

Since then, its reconstruction has not been started. The machinery, labour and guards deployed at the dam site have also returned to their respective departments.

The entire area is now deserted, the dam was supposed to be completed on December 31, 2019, but it is still awaiting resumption of work.

The dam can irrigate 3,500 acres of land in the Pothohar region. Work on the spillways of the dam has almost been completed.

Residents of the area Hassan Shah, Raja Ashiq Hussain and Farid Akhtar said that “We have appealed to the administration to start work on the dam several times but our requests have fallen on a deaf ear.

Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan said that “The government was re-allocating funds for the very important project. He said that reconstruction of the dam was being started in the next three months with a complete feasibility report. “Dams are the main focus of our government,” he said adding that “We are constructing four new mini dams in the Rawalpindi district and the whole area will get benefit from the completion of the dam.

He said that abundant water will be stored and we will also build a recreational park with modern facilities and give a gift to the people of the district.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2022.