Clearing silt of the dam was technically feasible but WAPDA’s obstinate attitude did the damage: Fazlullah Quresh.

Can silt be flushed out of Tarbella Dam which continues depleting its reservoir capacity over the last many years? This question led us to a project which its supporters claim was not only a practical one but also could save billions of rupees that Pakistan plans to spend on construction of Bhasha Dam.

Former Secretary Planning Fazlullah Qureshi told Engineering Review that Tarbella Dam could be cleared off the sit which was reducing the storage capacity of the reservoir. Back in the 1990s, the international experts had offered to clear Tarbella Dam of accumulating silt which slips down to the pond from Korakoram range upstream of the Indus River.

Tarbella Dam which was built after Pakistan and India signed Indus Basin Treaty had a design water storage capacity of 9.5 million acre-feet that has now reduced to 6.3 million acre-feet because the silt has accumulated into a mammoth island spread over many miles.

Now Pakistan government and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) are super active to build a replacement dam—Diamer Bhasha Dam costing over US$13 billion. It is a concrete-filled gravity dam which would store 8.5 million acre-feet, produce 4500 megawatts of energy and also extend the life of Tarbela Dam located downstream by 35 years.

Mr. Qureshi who also supports the construction of Bhasha Dam said they had invited international experts for clearing the silt off the dam and they presented a practical plan which cost little less than US$1 billion.

As per the plan, a wall was supposed to be erected in front of the silt delta on the right abutment where the water is released for power generation so that the flows do not affect the turbines.

On the left side where irrigation supplies flow downstream of the dam, an extra tunnel was to be created in addition to tunnel six. With the passage of time, the silt was expected to be softened and thus to be passing downstream through both tunnels (Tunnel 6 and 7). It was a continuous process which at least would have maintained the storage capacity of the dam.

The report of the international experts was referred to the Indus River System Authority (IRSA). The then Chairman IRSA Fateh Azam and Sindh member A.R Memon approved the plan. But WAPDA refused to give its nod as it would put an end the prospects of the construction of Kalabag Dam because the releasing silt which was supposed to be cleared of Tarbella Dam was to accumulate in the gorge downstream at the project silt of Kalabag Dam. (By Engineering Review Research Desk).

Dr. Hassan Abbas, Chairman ZIZAK responds ‘why not’. It is possible only if we revert back to nature.

He talks about the management of aquifer which has never been taken seriously in Pakistan.

The people need to understand the benefits of aquifer management rather than building dams as the former takes lesser time and also stores more water. An engineering and financial model of aquifer management should be made. This will defeat ‘Dams Business Model’ in the country, he says.

 How would your model create its space in a country where dams lobby is strong and have a political clout?

Scientific knowledge and best practices in the world are ought to put a dent in the psyche prevalent in Pakistan and it is possible only after the people come to know that there is an alternative to the storage and preservation of water other than building dams. Because we have never taken a modern water management initiative and still practicing 1930s and 1940 methods. The world has changed over the last century and thus water management models have also been transformed. There is a need for spreading awareness for bringing about a change in the country and media has to play its part and reach out the people about the alternative.

Moreover, dams’ projects cost billions of rupees and involve huge business interests in comparison to aquifer management which is implemented all over the country and in a cluster of smaller projects at lower tiers. In huge projects, commissions are involved and few people get benefitted from dams business whereas in aquifer management projects the people who get benefits are not that wealthy. This is a people-centric project and is in the best interest of the people as well as the country.

 In Sindh, almost everyone talks about the devastation in the deltaic area like you do but many experts call for a replacement of Tarbella Dam for Rabi crops also. Why is there such a difference on dam issue?

As far as the delta is concerned, they may have observed devastation there but I guess they might not have personally seen alternate solutions. I have an advantage of being a visitor of many such projects around the world. I have visited many counties, both developed and the developing, over the last quarter of a century and have observed such alternate solutions and thus recommend what is in the best interest of this country.

Of the irrigation supplies in Rabi, only 30 percent of the total water quantity supplements from the dams; the rest 60-70 percent comes from normal river flows. The overall contribution is not more than 10 percent per annum. It means you are making such huge investment in dams just for 30 percent water. We must see economics. What we should do is to restore the wetlands all along the river. In monsoon, the river will spillover and the water will be absorbed in the wetlands which will be used later. So the natural system of the rivers should be restored rather than building dams which stop the rivers from the spillovers. The wetlands would provide 30-40 percent of the water that you get from the dams.

It means Sindh needs not any replacement dam?

You built Tarbella and Mangla dams, both dams silted up and now you need new dams which would be silt up within 30-40 years. Therefore, we require doing sustainable projects which should be knitted with the natural systems of the rivers. New dams would just solve current issues; what we need is to think of future generations.

 Is the quantity of water resources in our rivers depleting in real terms or is there another factor behind such claims?

This is nothing new! Fear has been used to get approvals for huge projects in Pakistan. It is an old tactic. Now the people are being frightened that Pakistan would be water scare country by 2025. In 1990, it was claimed that the whole of Punjab and half of Sindh would be deserted if Kalabag Dam was not built by 2010. What happened in 2010? Nothing! Now same fear factor is being used and you will see no change in water resources in 2025. The same fear factor was also used while the Indus Basin Treaty was being negotiated.

Is climate change a reality?

Yes, it is a huge concern. It is a reality but projections about our regions say the quality of water here would increase. Rawalpindi-Islamabad rainfall data (1900-2018) talks about a slight increase in precipitation along with a 1-degree rise in temperature in the region. More temperatures would result in more rains. Yes, the climate has changed our older patterns. Timings are affected and one cannot say about it in exact terms. Therefore, we need to prepare ourselves to address the changes.