Daral Khwar power plant: Bahrain residents seek change in project design

Claim existing plan disastrous for agriculture; project director denies accusations.

DASSU:

The residents of Bahrain and its adjoining villages have demanded of the government to redesign the Daral Khwar Power Project which, according to them, may impact environment and agriculture.

“It is disastrous to the environment, tourism and agriculture of Bahrain,” Zubair Torwali, a social activist spearheading a campaign against the project told The Express Tribune. The Sarhad Hydel Development Organisation (SHYDO) which is executing the project has completely ignored the negative impacts of the project in its feasibility study, he says.

He accused SHYDO authorities of showing only 18 households among the affected population and claimed that nearly 25,000 inhabitants of Bahrain and its neighbouring villages would be affected by the project.

He claimed that over 40,000 trees would be chopped down for the construction of a six-kilometre track to the project, which would spoil the scenic beauty of Bahrain and affect the environment.

He also expressed concern over shortage of potable water following the diversion of Daral River’s water towards the power house.

Khaista Gul, another social worker, said that the resettlement plan does not mention anything about the 17 privately-owned small hydro power generators and 11 watermills, which would be left useless once the water from the river is diverted towards the project’s penstock.

“The majority of these generators and watermills were swept away by floods last year. However, their reconstruction is underway and the owners will lose their source of income if the water is diverted.

Zahir Shah, a local, said that the people of Bahrain are not opposed to the project but they want their concerns to be addressed. He disclosed that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) had stopped funding to the project following their complaints.

However, the executing authorities area brushing aside the concerns and accusations of local activists, describing the project environment friendly. Habib Khan Marwat, the project director, was of the view that the power plant would bring economic opportunities and prosperity in the region.

Marwat claimed that 21 families would be affected by the power plant, while 890 fruit trees and 3,200 wild trees would be chopped off. “The SHYDO plans to plant 6,000 saplings to compensate for them,” he added.

Regarding the diversion of water to the penstock, Marwat assured that the project would have no negative impact on the irrigation as the power house would consume only 560 cusecs of water out of 990 to 1,165 cusecs available.

He explained that the total need of the area was approximately 14.5 cusecs, adding that the villagers would receive 29 cusecs.

He went on to say that installation of a water supply network, a sewerage system and construction of a college were a part of the resettlement plan. In addition to that, five per cent of the income from the project would be spent on the development of the region, for which a legislation has already been enacted.

Regarding ADB’s decision of suspension of funds, the director clarified that the provincial government had requested the ADB to stop the funding, as the government has all the funds required to finance the project.

The 36.6 MW project is expected to be completed in 24 years at a cost of Rs600 million. The project’s feasibility study has been completed at a cost of Rs45 million, which were provided by the ADB.

According to Marwat, the plan cannot be redesigned at this stage, since it has been completed by experts from Germany, England and Austria following a 10-year study which found the project to be technically viable and environment friendly. He also said that the local community agreed on the conditions of the project at a meeting chaired by District Revenue Officer two years back.

(Read: K-P govt announces hydel plan)

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th, 2011.