New dam approved for Chakwal district

Taman Dam will be constructed at a cost of over Rs2.5 billion

RAWALPINDI:

Rawalpindi Division Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatta has approved the construction of a new dam in the Chakwal district to address the irrigation and drinking water issues of surrounding areas.

According to official sources, the Taman Dam will be built by the Small Dams Organisation.

They said the dam will be constructed at an estimated cost of over Rs2.5 billion.

The Small Dams Organisation has invited bids from major firms to build the dam and the bids for the project will be received until May 12, after which the tender will be issued. The dam that will be completed in two years will irrigate 20,000 acres of land and will provide 0.3 million people with clean drinking water.

Sources also said a state-of-the-art amusement park will be built there with a European-style boating facility. The dam will also be used for the breeding of aquatic birds.

In order to increase the stay time of migratory birds in winter there, plants used as food by these feathered guests will be planted around the dam, they said.

On Wednesday, Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaqat Ali Chatha has said that there is a need to attain the full potential of existing dams along with constructing new ones.

Dams are multi-beneficial projects as they incorporate domestic use, agriculture need, fisheries, irrigation as well as tourism opportunities, he said, and directed officials concerned that coordination between the relevant departments should be improved so that problems faced in their operation could be resolved immediately.

The commissioner was briefed that there are 11 dams at 14,530 acres in the Jhelum district with a gross storage of 38,500 MAF.

Out of these, nine dams are complete and functional while two are non-functional.

Garat, Jamergal, Tanpura I, Tanpura II, Lehri, Saliyal, Dumeli, Pandori, Gaurah Singh Uttam dams are complete and functional while Shah Habib Dam and Fatehpur Dam are non-functional. Similarly, Attock district has a total of 20 dams on 31,686 acres with a gross storage of 60,359 MAF.

Out of them 16 are complete and active and four are non-operational. Among these completed and functional dams are Kanjoor, Channibor, Shahpur, Mirwal, Jabi, Sawaal, Thatti Sayedan, Jabbi, Bisal, Sokra, Sepiala, Haji Shah, Qibla Bandi, Tilkana and Shakar Dara. While Tajabara, Sadriyal, Shahbazpura and Jalwal are non-operational.

This meeting regarding small dam at the commissioner's office was attended by Director Development Nazia Sudhan, Project Director Irrigation Tabriz Elahi, PD small dams Hamza Sheikh and other officials concerned.

The commissioner said that the government has spent billions of rupees on the construction of these dams, adding that being an agricultural region, we couldn’t afford these dams to stay non-functional due to minor issues.

He directed officials to figure out the hindrances and solve them on a war footing basis. He said that he should be briefed on the situation every week.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19^th, 2023.