Two dams approved for garrison city

Funds have been released for construction of Mujahid and Mohata dams

RAWALPINDI:

Given the acute shortage of water in the garrison city coupled with plummeting groundwater sources, the authorities have approved the construction of two new state-of-the-art dams in the garrison city.

Sources said the Punjab Small Dams Organisation approved the projects for construction of Mujahid and Mohata dams while funds have also been released for construction of these two dams under the Annual Development Programme (ADP).

The source said with the construction of these two dams 350,000 people residing in the suburbs of the Rawalpindi district will get access to clean drinking water while the supply of water from these dams will also help irrigate 13,000 acres of agricultural land.

Both these projects were conceived during the regime of former federal minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan and were later included in the ADP after approval.

Tenders have been issued to award contracts for the construction of both water storage projects.

According to sources, the estimated cost of the Mujahid Dam, which will be constructed in the Chontra region, is Rs937.73 million.

An irrigation system will also be laid along with this dam, which will irrigate 7,000 acres of land in the vast rural area of Chontra, the sources said. Around 150,000 people of Chontra and surrounding areas will get potable water for which water tanks will be built.

The construction of the Mujahid Dam will be finished in 30 months.

On the other hand, the Mohata Dam will be constructed in Raika, the densely populated union council of Rawalpindi District, at an estimated cost of Rs660.23 million and will help irrigate 6,000 acres of agricultural land in the area.

Sources said underwater tanks will be constructed and drinking water pipelines will also be laid in addition to the irrigation system alongside the dam.

The Mohata Dam will be constructed in a record-breaking period of 18 months, the sources claimed.

The two dams will be complemented by amusement parks with fruit and flower plants and thick forest trees grown in the Miyawaki forest style for the delight of the local inhabitants.

Additionally, these two dams will have motorboats for recreation while for the breeding of water birds, different types of fish will also be bred in these dams.

The dams will be built on government land, including their catchment areas. The contract for the construction of these dams will be awarded in the first week of May after the opening of bids on April 29.

Experts say the groundwater level in Rawalpindi has plummeted while the water supply from Rawal and Khanpur dams has been slashed amidst high consumption of the vital commodity. In addition to this, the rapidly growing population, rising temperatures in the summers, and incessant droughts have made the construction of these dams crucial.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 9^th, 2023.