Tag Archives: Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA)

Wapda asked to prepare new PC-1 of Nai Gaj Dam

on 24/12/2018

Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) is busy preparing a new PC-1 for the construction of Nai Gaj Dam.

Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar has directed the authority to finish the task within two weeks. The court heard a case regarding the construction of the dam in December. The authority requested for one month to accomplish the task but the court refused to entertain it.

Nai Gaj Dam is an embankment  currently under construction on the Gaj River in  gorge area at the edge of Kirthar Mountains range about 65 km (40 miles) north-west of Dadu city in Sindh. So far, a tune of Rs.16 billion has been spent on the project which  court says should not be wasted. Chief justice has already warned that the parties concerned would be held responsible if the dam was not built within the given time frame. Additional attorney general informed top court the PC-1 of the dam would be revised and a new contractor would be hired for construction. The CJP remarked that projects were started for ‘kickbacks’ and later abandoned on the plea that same were not needed. He also observed that no one from the Sindh government had appeared before the court.

He said the federal government was to release Rs 46 billion for the dam’s construction. About 51 percent of the project had been completed, but the Sindh government was saying that it was not needed anymore, he added. The CJP asked the additional attorney general whether the federal government had released funds for the dam.

On this, additional attorney general replied that Sindh government had changed its approach and was reluctant to undertake construction of the dam. The dam’s construction started in May 2012. It is estimated that water will be supplied from Nai Gaj Dam to 28,800 acres land in tehsil Johi and 300,000 acres in other areas of Dadu District. Moreover, Nai Gaj Dam will supply 50 cusecs of water to the Lake Manchar for decreasing its pollution. Furthermore, the water will also be supplied from the dam to Kachho desert and area of Kohistan in Dadu District.

Pakistan’s 1st National Water Policy  to be launched soon

on 06/04/2018

Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) chairman Muzammil Hussain has said that first-ever National Water Policy would be launched soon that would help overcome water challenges.

Talking to Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Malik Tahir Javed, Senior Vice President Zeshan Khalil and others he said that that energy and food security is as essential as security of borders. He said that country is preserving only 10 percent of flowing water despite the fact that water resources are depleting. He said that Pakistan stood at 15th in the list of water deprived countries. He said that economic worth of water being wasted to sea is around $14.5 billion.

Malik Tahir Javaid said that though government has largely overcome the energy shortfall and there has been a considerable decline in electricity load shedding but there is a dire need to bring down the electricity prices to give some relief to industry.

 

Pak water resources depleting, so are our funds

on 25/03/2018

WAPDA proposes to spend Net Hydle Profit amounts 

It’s an unfortunate coincidence! Pakistan’s water resources are fast depleting due to climate change so are its development funds, that are shrinking every year. It makes the officials associated with water resources feel as if Pakistan may not build even a single large dam in 100 years.

Islamabad was supposed to release Rs120 billion for 18 water projects this financial year (2017-2018). However, it could release merely Rs36 billion! If the ratio of such release is computed then it will take 32 years to finish the job.

Secretary Water Resource division, Shamail Ahmad Khawaja shared his concerns with the Standing Committee on water resources led by MNA Khalid Hussain Magsi.

“With only Rs36 billion, it will take 14-32 years to complete these projects”, Khawaja said.The Council of Common Interests (CCI) has been recommended that all parties should approve water accord so that the reservoirs’ construction issue should be resolved on war-footings. For the year 2018-19, an allocation of Rs203 billion will be proposed, he says.

Besides scant funds diverted to water sector projects, cost escalations are also affecting the projects. For instance, the Bhasha Dam originally costing at US$12 billion has reached US$15 billion. For this project, the executors would require Rs120 billion in next financial year.

Aimed at ensuring cash flow for water projects,  Water and Power Development Authority WAPDA has proposed to divert provinces’ Net Hydle Profit to constructing new dams and hydropower projects in the country.

Hub Dam depleting its capacity

on 02/05/2017

Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) has decided to strengthen Hub Dam, a major source of water for Sindh’s capital of Karachi and Balochistan. The authority is evaluating technical possibilities to save the slippages of precious water to meet the needs of Karachi and Lasbela, said a communicator from the authority. Chairman Lt. Gen. (R) Muzammil Hussain visited Hub Dam location and had a detailed round of the spillway and embankments of the project. WAPDA chairman said that Hub Dam, completed on Hub River in 1981, had significantly been contributing to fulfilling domestic and industrial water requirements of Karachi and part of Balochistan including Hub. . During his visit, the issue relating to receivables in the head of operation and maintenance (O&M) of Hub Dam was also discussed. Sindh gets 63.3 percent and Balochistan 36.7 percent from Hub Dam. At the time of its completion in 1981, the live water storage capacity of the reservoir was 0.76 m acre feet which have been reduced to 0.65 m acre feet due to natural phenomenon of sedimentation.