Punjab small dams of limited utility: Report
Poor planning of small dams have resulted in nearly Rs3 billion being wasted.
ISLAMABAD:
Serious structural flaws, substandard construction quality and poor planning of small dams have resulted in nearly Rs3 billion being wasted, as 20 dams made in Punjab have failed to produce required results.
Small Dams Organisation (SDO) of the Irrigation and Power Department constructed 20 dams during the year 2000 and 2010 to irrigate more than 27,000 acres of land. However, only around 2,000 acres of land could be irrigated, according to an inspection report prepared by the Punjab Irrigation and Water & Power Department.
The report, available with The Express Tribune, presents startling revelations of construction flaws.
Nine out of 20 dams including Jalwal Dam, Thatti Syedan Dam, Jabba Dam, Dharabi Dam, Ughan Dam, Fatehpur Dam, Phalina Dam, Shah Habib Dam and Gurha Uttam Singh Dam, have not been of use at all.
Talikna Dam in Islamabad was made to irrigate 1,000 acres, but is only able to irrigate 94 acres of land. Similarly, construction of Domeli Dam in Jhelum was completed in August 2008 to irrigate 3,000 acres of land, but it only covers 164 acres.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 17th, 2011.
Serious structural flaws, substandard construction quality and poor planning of small dams have resulted in nearly Rs3 billion being wasted, as 20 dams made in Punjab have failed to produce required results.
Small Dams Organisation (SDO) of the Irrigation and Power Department constructed 20 dams during the year 2000 and 2010 to irrigate more than 27,000 acres of land. However, only around 2,000 acres of land could be irrigated, according to an inspection report prepared by the Punjab Irrigation and Water & Power Department.
The report, available with The Express Tribune, presents startling revelations of construction flaws.
Nine out of 20 dams including Jalwal Dam, Thatti Syedan Dam, Jabba Dam, Dharabi Dam, Ughan Dam, Fatehpur Dam, Phalina Dam, Shah Habib Dam and Gurha Uttam Singh Dam, have not been of use at all.
Talikna Dam in Islamabad was made to irrigate 1,000 acres, but is only able to irrigate 94 acres of land. Similarly, construction of Domeli Dam in Jhelum was completed in August 2008 to irrigate 3,000 acres of land, but it only covers 164 acres.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 17th, 2011.