Kalabagh Dam

Kalabagh Dam (proposed)

Official name Kalabagh Dam (proposed)

LocaleIndus,

 Pakistan

Owner(s) GoP

Dam and spillways

Type   of   dam Earthfill dam

Length 3,350 m (10,991 ft)

Height 79 m (259 ft)

Impounds Indus River

Discharge capacity of spillway 30,000 m/s (98,000 ft/s)

Reservoir

Capacity 9.7 km3 (7,900,000 acre·ft)

Catchment area 110,500 sq mi (286,000 km2)

Power station

Installed capacity 3,600 MW (proposed)

The Kalabagh dam was a proposed hydroelectric dam planned to be built on the Indus River by the Government of Pakistan. The proposed site for the dam was situated at Kalabagh in Mianwali District of the Punjab province, bordering the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The dam project was controversial since its inception. In December 2005, General Pervez Musharraf, President of Pakistan, announced that he would build the dam in the larger interest of Pakistan. In May 26, 2008, Federal Minister for Water and Power of Pakistan, Raja Pervez Ashraf, said that the "Kalabagh Dam would not be constructed" and the project has been cancelled.[1] He said due to the "opposition from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and other stakeholders, the project was no longer feasible".[2] However, after the worst flood (2010) in Pakistan, the prime minister of Pakistan, Yousaf Raza Gilani, stated that the devastation of flood would be less if Kalabagh dam was built.[3]

Contents

1 Controversy 2 Punjab's viewpoint 3 Sindh's viewpoint 4 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's viewpoint

5 Balochistan's viewpoint 6 Analysis 7 See also 8 References 9 External links

Controversy

The proposed construction of the Kalabagh Dam triggered a bitter controversy among the four provinces of Pakistan, namely Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan. Punjab has been the only province in favor of the dam, which is the strongest of the four provinces, as usually the government is mainly centralized in it. The other three provinces have expressed dissatisfaction: their provincial assemblies passed unanimous resolutions rejecting the proposed dam. Hence, the project was still under consideration only.

According to some small controversial groups, the tailender has a legal and natural right on river. Often Pakistani politicians try to use India as an excuse to explain the mismanagement of water resources. According to WAPDA with increased population, Pakistan is fast heading towards a situation of water shortage. Per capita surface water availability was 5260 cubic meters in 1951, when population was 34 million, which has been reduced to 1038 cubic meters in 2010 when the estimated population is 172 million. The minimum water requirement to being a "water short country" is 1,000 cubic meters. They claim no dam or reservoir can be built without permission and endorsement of the tailender, i.e., Arabian Sea.[citation needed] In the case where the tailender is not using water, i.e., building a water reservoir, a reservoir can be made upstream.

Impact assessments of the proposed dam have shown that while it will provide storage and electricity, the dam will also have adverse impacts on the environment, as can be expected from any large dam.[citation needed] It will also displace a large number of people.[citation needed] While proponents point to the benefits, the adverse factors have been played up by the opponents of the dam. As a result, the dam has been stalled by claims and counterclaims since 1984.

Punjab's viewpoint

Punjab needs more water to keep up with the growing population and industrial demands on its agriculture. A dam at Kalabagh would also supply cheap hydro-electric power to the whole country.

The annual outflow of water into the Arabian Sea is considered a "waste" in Punjab, which feels that water can be used to irrigate infertile lands.

Punjab wants not just Kalabagh, but also two more large dams on the Indus, at Bhasha and Skardu/Katzarah. It feels that the Kalabagh site is the most favourable, compared to the other two, and that it should be built first. Bahalwalpur and Bahawalnagar will get most of the water stored in Kalabagh Dam.

On the other hand, Punjab has been severely hit by Kalabagh Dam being not built. In the early 1960s, Pakistan had agreed to a deal with India over the royalty of rivers. That had given royalty of two rivers Satlej and Biyas to India. Since then, the river Ravi, Satlej and Biyas are only used as flood release rivers by India. Pakistan government was allowed and funded to build this dam only because they had agreed such deal with India. Now Pakistan hasn't built the dam and has also barren-ed a large area of Punjab province by taking out three rivers.

Punjab's view is that a dam of above 3GW production can finish all the energy crisis of Pakistan.[citation needed] Overall, it will help Pakistan to grow further as electricity produced by water is cheapest compared to all other resources.

Punjab has also agreed not to claim any royalty on generation of resources from Kalabagh dam[citation needed].

Sindh's viewpoint

Sindh is the lower riparian and strongest opponent of KBD. But its case mainly against Punjab is more on a conceptual basis of what Sindh thought to be "theft of water by Punjab" rather than locating an actual incident of theft. Sindh supports its argument by stating that by virtue of its name and history of water rights of the province, Indus River belongs exclusively to Sindh. Therefore, claiming the construction of dams, Tarbela and Mangla and now KBD actions of theft of water at the irrigation cost of Sindh. Sindh presents many objections against the proposed dam:

Sindh objects that their share of the Indus water will be curtailed as water from the Kalabagh will go to irrigate farmlands in Punjab and North-West Frontier Province, at their cost. Sindhis hold that their rights as the lower riparian have precedence according to international water distribution law.

The coastal regions of Sindh require a constant flow of water down the Indus into the Arabian Sea so that the flowing water can keep the seawater from intruding inland. Such seawater intrusion would literally turn vast areas of Sindh's coast into an arid saline desert, and destroy Sindh's coastal mangroves.

With the construction of dams, such as Mangla Dam and Tarbela Dam across the Indus, Sindhis have seen the once-mighty Indus turned into a shadow of its former glory downstream of the Kotri Barrage up to Hyderabad. They fear that there simply is not enough water for another large dam across the Indus, let alone three.

The Kalabagh site is located in a highly seismic zone near an active fault, and the underlying rocks are likely to contain numerous fractures, causing the reservoir water to seep through the catacomb of fractures and discharge at the lowest point around the reservoir and the Indus river. [4]

Damming the Indus has already caused a number of environmental problems that have not yet addressed. Silt deposited in the proposed Kalabagh dam would further curtail the water storage capacity of Manchar Lake and other lakes and of wetlands like Haleji Lake.

President Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and other leaders, have promised "iron-clad constitutional guarantees" to ensure that Sindh gets its fair share of water. However, these assurances mean little to most Sindhis, who claim that even the earlier 1991 Indus Water-Sharing Accord, which is a document already guaranteed by the constitutional body, the Council of Common Interests, has been violated, and that Punjab has "stolen" their water.

The objection to Kalabagh in Sindh is widespread. Even political parties of Sindh that are in the central cabinet and are supported by General Musharraf, such as the Muttahida Quami Movement, have strongly denounced the dam. Opposition towards Kalabagh Dam is such that PML N's Sindh Chapter also were in unison with the opponents of the Dam and as a result even PML N's leader Mr Nawaz Sharif, who as the Prime Minister of Pakistan had stated in 1998 that he proposes to build the dam, retracted from his stance and declared that Sindh's view point ought to be respected and no project, however essential, be carried out that weakened Pakistan's Federation.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's viewpoint

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has two main objections to the dam:

Punjab has low credibility and doubtful sincerity when it comes to fulfilling promises. It does not stop even if it has to break the constitutional guarantees (at least the current government of Punjab, which is of the Pakistan Muslim League (N)). Stopping of wheat supply at check posts for investigation is one such example (this is not allowed in the Constitution of Pakistan).[citation needed]. ANP claims that the running of Cheshma-Jhelum link canal and over drawing of water from Tarbela is a common feature.

The entire system and canal of Ghazi- Barotha hydro electric project runs in Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa, however the electricity generating turbines were installed just 500 meters inside Punjab so that the royalty is denied to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.[citation needed].

While the reservoir will be in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the dam's electricity-generating turbines will be just across the provincial border in Punjab. Therefore, Punjab would get royalties from the central government in Islamabad for generating electricity.[citation needed]. Although, Punjab has also agreed not to claim any royalty on generation of resources from Kalabagh dam.

Concerns that large areas of Nowshera District would be submerged by the dam and even wider areas would suffer from water-logging and salinity as has occurred with the Tarbela Dam. As the water will be stored in Kalabagh dam as proposed, that will give water level rise to the city that is about 200 km away from the proposed location.[citation

needed].

Balochistan's viewpoint

Balochistan is not directly affected by the dam as such. Rather, most nationalist Baloch Sardars claim the dam an instance of Punjab lording it over the smaller provinces. They have however, not included the dam in any of their statements after its cancellation.[citation needed]

Analysis

Most independent analysts believe that the foremost problem with the proposed dam at Kalabagh is one of a "trust deficit between the Punjab on one side and the other three provinces on the other". Ayaz Amir, believes this is due to the frequent coups staged by the Pakistan Army (which is overwhelmingly Punjabi and Pathan in its composition), as well as the Army's extra-constitutional intervention and influence in public sector and civil institutions of the country in general and Sindh in particular (especially in Karachi). This is also due to ethno-nationalists that promote anti-Punjabi sentiments amongst the people.

All Pakistanis agree that Pakistan faces a severe water shortage, and that some form of water management must be implemented soon. Many[who?] point out that even if work on Kalabagh were to start tomorrow, it would still take at least eight years to complete and commission such a large dam. In the meantime, the water situation would continue to worsen. Smaller dams, barrages, and canals must be built before that, and water conservation techniques introduced.

The WAPDA for years repeatedly changed its statistics on the dam, to the point where no-one in Pakistan now believes any of its figures.[citation needed] Government of Pakistan formed a technical committee, headed by A. N. G. Abbasi, to study the technical merits of the Kalabagh dam vis-a-vis the other two. The four-volume technical report concluded that Bhasha or Katzarah dam should be built before Kalabagh, further complicating matters. The report also stated that Kalabagh and Bhasha Dams could be considered feasible.

The abrupt way in which President Pervez Musharraf announced the decision to build the dam, overruling the objections of the smaller provinces, had polarised public opinion. On 26 May 2008, Federal Minister for Water and Power of Pakistan Raja Pervez Ashraf said that Kalabagh Dam will not be constructed. He said due to opposition from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and other stakeholders, the project is no longer feasible. The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani announced that the fate of the project would be decided by a plebiscite. The decision came after Pakistan faced extreme power crisis and acute water shortages. The government is currently finding alternative locations for the dam.

KALABAGH DAM - A PROJECT OF HIGHEST PRIORITY FOR PAKISTAN

INTRODUCTION Kalabagh Dam Project was designed in 1984, with the assistance of the United Nations Development Program; supervised by the World Bank, for the client Water and Power Development Authority of Pakistan. Following the submission of its Project Planning Report it

was put up to the Federal and Provincial Governments for approval of the launching of this gigantic project. In the meantime, the project team were asked to complete the Detailed Designs and Contract Documents for making it ready to enter into the implementation stage This task was completed in another two and half years and the project was poised for start of construction in mid 1987. It was estimated to cost US$ 3.46 Billion at June 1987 level and was scheduled to be completed in 6 years, with first generating unit to be commissioned in April 1993. But unfortunately, this programme could not be materialized due to opposition from some Provincial Governments, mainly on political grounds. In spite of a widespread realization of the urgency of this project, among vast majority of professional sectors of engineers, economists, agriculturists, industrialists and the intelligentsia, a political consensus could not be achieved for constructing Kalabagh Dam. Repeated efforts were made by various successive governments but the, so called, consensus has proved to be too elusive, for one reason or another.

As a result of this delay of 12 long years in the implementation of this project our dear country has suffered immensely in the agriculture and the energy sectors, directly and in industrial and manpower sectors indirectly. All these negative effects have, no doubt, contributed in a big way to the alarming situation faced by the national economy, which we are witnessing now.

KALABAGH DAMA Multi-purpose Project ofNATIONAL WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMEA Long-term Solution to National Water & Power ProblemsSent to CP byShaukat Mahmood Alvi

Al-KhobarINTRODUCTIONIrrigated agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy. At the same time with world’s fastest growing population estimated to 150 million, thereis a dire need to increase agricultural production. If nothing is done, there would be approximately 25% shortfall in food grain requirements by theyear 2000. Judging from current (1997) two million tones import of wheat, by that time, Pakistan could be one of the major food deficit countries inthe world.Due to complete stoppage of any sizeable surface water resources development after full commissioning of Tarbala Dam during, 1976, evensustainability of existing irrigated agriculture is in serious jeopardy.With a large arable land, Pakistan still has the potential of bringing several million acres of virgin land under irrigation. An important impediment inthe way of this development is insufficient control over flood water of the rivers. With virtually no limit on availability of land, it is unfortunate towillingly let large quantities of water into the sea. In post-Tarbala 20 years, an annual average of over 38 million acres feet (MAF) escaped belowKotri; after adjustment of future abstraction out-side Indus Basin, this could still be around 32 MAF. Out of this, an average of over 26 MAF per yearcould be effectively controlled and efficiently utilized to bring about prosperity to millions, particularly, in backward areas of Pakistan throughnational water resources development approach.Besides recurring irrigation water shortage, the country passes through periodic calamity caused by the phenomenon of floods (1992 followed by1994 very large floods should act as eye-openers) Monsoon rains result in swollen rivers which spill over their banks, bringing in the wake loss on acolossal scale. Floods are detrimental, not only in financial terms, but also in the form of sever undermining of productive system, which shouldlogically be free from uncertainties and frequent dislocations. In the context of Peshawar Valley above Nowshera, frequent flooding takes place dueto entrance of Kabul River into confined channel below this point.Similarly, national demand of electricity has been and would keep in growing rapidly. From the present 10500MW, peak power requirement of thecountry is estimated to cross 13000 MW by the year 2000. Recently, Federal Government has entered in to a number of agreements with

international private sector to install over 3,000 MW of thermal power over next 3-4 years. Though it may help in overcoming

The majestic River Indus originates at 5183 metres above sea level in the glaciers of northern slopes of Kailash Parbat in Tibet. Starting as a tricklet, it collects rainwater and

melting snow from a catchment area of 940.000 sq km to become one of the mightiest rivers of the world, ten times bigger than Colorado River and twice as large as the Nile.

 On its long voyage of more than 3,000 km it is augmented by 10 major rivers __ Kabul, Swat, Kunhar, Haro and Soan in the northern Frontier Province and Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej and Bias at Panjnad in the province of Punjab. The ferocious Indus, more than a million cusecs at its peak flood time, passes through 500 km of Sindh province to disperse in the salt water of Arabian Sea. This large body of water varying widely between 200 to 120 million acre feet (MAF), depending upon the quantum of rainfall and snowfall in the Himalayas, provides agricultural and water needs of 130 million people of Pakistan and lately a large population of India. But for the province of Sindh it has a unique and significant presence.

Flowing through the whole length of Sindh and literally bisecting it River Indus inundates, a swatch of land, at an average 4 km wide, during its peak flood season (July 20 to Sep 30). For this strip of about 2 million acres, 595,000 acres of which are dense forests and 600,000 acres rich grazing land, River Indus is the only life line providing it with rich nutrient and moisture. At the ends of its travel the river cascades into a delta where, over the centuries, it has developed a 650,000 acre thick mangrove forest which sustains exotic and colourful life in plants, reptiles and mammals.

All of this, and much more is under threat now.  Since 1859 when through upper Bari Doab Canal water was first drawn from Ravi, 19 barrages and 43 canal heads with 48 offtakes have been built on Indus River system creating world's largest contiguous man-made system consisting of 61,000 km of canals and 105,000 water courses, irrigating 35 million acres of land. When in 1960 Indus Basin Treaty was signed between India and Pakistan, India was apportioned the exclusive use of Ravi, Sutlej and Bais and further right on the water of remaining 3 rivers to irrigate 1.3 million acres of land. In compensation Pakistan was helped to build three storage dams: Mangla on Jhelum river for storage of 6.4 MAF and Tarbela and Chashma on river Indus for storing 11.9 MAF and 1.8 MAF, respectively.

The effect of the loss of three rivers to India and demand of further 114 MAF for irrigation needs of 4 provinces of Pakistan has reduced the once mighty Indus to a trickle when it passes through Sindh.

Kalabagh dam

While the kutcha area and deltaic eco-system is under threat of their survival, government of Pakistan and Punjab and the most populous and powerful province, wish

to build a mega dam professedly to generate 3600 MW electric power and store 6.1 MAF water but to actually draw a further 6 MAF water through 2 canals to irrigate 2 million acres.

The consequences of Kalabagh will be felt severely by Frontier Province:

 1. 182,000 acres of productive land will be lost under the reservoir.

2. 34,000 people will be displaced (with another 59,000 in Punjab).

3. Nowshera, a sizeable city of Frontier Province, will be threatened (Nowshera town itself will stand 24 feet below on the height of Kalabagh storage) with, at worst, horrible termination if the dykes break, or at best, serve degradation of land by water-logging in about 20 years times.

Sindh the worst sufferer of degradation of nature

1. Availability of Water:

As lower riparian, Sindh has suffered the most due to ill-planned and ill-conceived withdrawals of water from Indus river system. Despite much tinkering of figures by those who favour Kalabagh dam, fact remains that measured at rim stations of the 3 western rivers (Indus at Kalabagh, Chenab at Mangla and Jhelum at Marala), the water availability 4 years out of 5 (80 percent probability) is 123.59 MAF. The water accord between provinces of Pakistan signed on 15.3.1991, apportions 114.35 MAF for their needs and the system losses (occurring in the bed of the rivers) projected by WAPDA is 10 MAF (much below the actual system losses of 16.2 MAF calculated by WAPDA between 1977-91, after Tarbela dam was constructed). The balance is negative 0.76 MAF flowing into the sea.

2. The inundated kutcha lands:

The Indus inundates an average 4-km wide strip of kutcha land of about million acres, 595,000 acres of which are thick forests and another 600,000 rich grazing lands. This strip husbands a substantial number of cattle, goats and fowls and economically sustains about one million people. All this is now threatened. i) The progressive decline of water over the last 50 years has led to soil erosion and accretion so that succession of fresh plants is considerably on the decline. The riverain forest is slowly but surely dying.

ii) Many plants specifically grow in kutcha areas. One such species, populous Enphratica, the timber of which is exclusively used for Sindh's famous craft, Janjhi (bright, colourful furniture) is fast approaching extinction. iii) Loss of moisture coupled with wind erosion has caused soil degradation and consequent desertification. No survey has been conducted recently but it is estimated that 2 million heads of cattle are reared on 600,000 acres of the grazing lands of kutcha. Further degradation will extract enormous cost in the shape of loss of dairy and meat products and economic and social well being of a million people.

iv) With recession of water comes drying up of wells and ponds in kutcha area, leaving no water for human or animal consumption.

3) The natural lakes

i) The changing of River Indus over millions of years has created thousands of lakes and ponds in Thatta and Badin, two southern districts of Sindh. Inundation of River Indus and consequent availability of water in canals helps fill up these lakes.

There is growing awareness among people to commercially raise fish in such ponds and many have started doing so. With shortage of water in Indus, a promising source of protein generation as well as economic well being of so many people will not materialise.

ii) Sindh is home to some of Asia's largest natural lakes, the Manchchar, Haleji, Hadero, Keenjhar and Chotiari. Manchchar the 700 sq km. lake in Dadu, that can store 1 MAF, and Chotiari in Sanghar that can store 0.4 MAF are filled through inundation of Indus. These lakes are winter and summer home to thousands of migratory birds from Kazakhstan and Siberia, who use what is known as "Indus Fly Way" to fly thousands of kilometres in a marvelous and awe-inspiring phenomena so as to beat the severe Siberian winter. All this is threatened to be lost for ever. The 222 type of birds that are so far reportedly seen in Haleji, Hadero, Meenjhar (Kalari) and Chotiari ranging from Pelicans to Pintails and from Black Drango to white swams make these lakes a bird watcher's paradise and have been declared a wild life sanctuary by the government of Sindh.

4. Mangrove forests are not "wastelands"

The mangrove forest in Indus delta is spread over 650,000 acres and is the 6th largest mangrove forest in the world. Fed through the nutrient carried by 100 million tons of silt by river Indus each year, the mangrove estuaries are the most productive forests, protecting and nurturing thousands of botanic, aquatic and wildlife species. According to World Conservation Union (IUCN 1991), "The mangroves are the principal components of the delta ecosystem, without them and the nutrients they recycle and the

protection they provide, the other components of the ecosystem will not survive __ mangrove estuaries provide ideal nursery grounds for many commercial fish species specially prawns." The other wildlife species supported by mangroves is propoises, jackals, wildboars, reptiles, migratory fowl bird, 3 species of dolphins of the mangrove habitat is destroyed then the continued existence in the Indus delta of all those will be threatened, (IUCN Korangi ecosystem Project 1991).

5. Economic significance of mangrove forests

 The mangrove estuaries are 4-5 times more productive than tropical estuaries without mangroves (IUCN). Compared to an agricultural land-growing wheat, acre for acre, mangrove is 3 times more productive. Significant economic benefits of mangrove are:

I) Timber resources for fuel wood and buildings.

 

ii) Fodder and grazing for cattle, goats and camels.

iii) Fisheries within the delta area.

iv) Fisheries for species using delta as nursery. It should be noted that Pakistan earned 2.25 billion rupees from the fish production of 0.4 m tons (1989 figures) most of which pass some part of its life in the mangrove estuaries of Indus Delta especially prawns.

 v) Coastal protection from erosion.

vi) Employment of approximately 100,000 people and sustenance of their families in the Indus and its deltaic fishing industry.

 6. Health problems

There are about 40 major cities located on the banks of Indus or its tributaries. The raw sewerage of which is discharged directly into the water of Indus. Added to the decreasing quantity of water flowing in the river, the population has crested on epidemic like situation in Sindh where water borne diseases have registered a 200 percent increase in the last 2 decades.

An epidemic of eye disease known as viral conjunctivitis originates from Karachi and ravages the whole country almost every year. This viral infection is directly attributed to polluted water.

 Respect nature: There is increasing awareness among the people of the world that nature has established a Blanca of elements that must not be disturbed in the name of development unless advantage of such a development far outweigh the disadvantages.

Out of the 40,000 small and big dams erected throughout the world, more than half of which are in China, many have brought prosperity and well being to the people but in the case of most mega dam the result is destruction of ecosystem, pollution of water and degradation of soil that enormously outweigh the advantages.

All those favouring Kalabagh dam must know that there is hard scientific evidence, collected in the United States and available to any one, that destruction of forests and mangroves leads to destructive erosion, loss of bio-filtration function and drastic reduction of biological productivity. Natural forest and mangrove forest development is an incremental process, that takes 50 to 60 years for the trees to mature. When the soil is removed through erosion, a nutrient recycling becomes difficult due to shortage of fresh water, reforestation will be much more time consuming and the forests start to die. In the United States, Colorado rivers used to flow into Gulf of California. With the construction of huge Hoover dam and myriad other hydro electric dams, the flow to the sea disappeared with horrific results wiping out entire Mexican fishing villages and denying a substantial part of northwest Mexico of its share of Colorado's water, The United States will be making reparation to Mexico forever. There are alternatives to building mega dams.

The reasons advanced for building Kalabagh dam are:

(i) Production of 3600 MW of electric power and

(ii) Storing 6.1 MAF water, at a cost of US $ 5.0 billion (1987 cost). This cost has escalated to US $ 8.0 billion in Oct, 1996.

So far power generation is concerned, it has been established around the world that small storage dams and power generation units are much more feasible and maintainable than mega dams. WAPDA has estimated potential of 30,000 MW on

streams and rivers up north. Ghazi-Barotha is such a project that can produce 1450 MW and is a run of the river project that does not propose storing water. Other identified sites are Dasu, Bhasha, Thakot, Skardu and Banji. About storing water, all dams so far built, or proposed to be built, on Indus River System, are such that they will store about 150 MAF water in flood season for release in the lean period of the same year for wheat sowing (Rabi) season. Addition of 6.1 MAF of Kalabagh is expected to appreciably increase availability of water. However all dams are drained by 31st December of the same year. Super floods occur in Indus River Systems once in every 5 or 6 years when more than a million cusecs water flows out of sea. If there were a dam to store this water, most of Pakistan's problems concerning water availability would be over. Aswan high dam in Egypt can store 124 MAF of water and can withstand 9 consecutive lean year (1978-1987). Unfortunately no site for such a dam has been identified in Pakistan.

Water conservation strategy

 Out of the 114.35 MAF apportioned to all the 4 provinces of Pakistan 50 to 60 percent or roughly 60 MAF, is lost in the system (15 MAF is lost in river beds, 10 MAF through canal embankments and the rest, 25 to 35 MAF, in water courses and on farms). This percolation of water renders 100,000 acres of farms into a water-logged waste every single year.

Although losses through river beds cannot be stopped, at a fraction of the money earmarked for Kalabagh dam (US $ 5.0 billion at 1987 price) the entire 105,000 water courses in the irrigation network of Pakistan can be lined and crash training programme mounted for farmers in the proper leveling of farms and in water management, reclaiming at least 10 to 12 MAF double the storage capacity of Kalabagh. The added benefit will be the appreciable reduction in water-logging and consequent degradation of soil.

It is amazing that while the country is awash in a severe crisis of electricity, the Kalabagh Dam for which funding has been secured has now been cancelled by a minsiter in the PPPP government. The matter was not discussed in the National Assembly or the Senate.

Govt has dropped KBD project for good: Ashraf * Water and Power minister says no more load shedding after August 14, 2009 Staff Report

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: The government has dropped the Kalabagh Dam (KBD) project forever, as it is a controversial issue among the provinces, Federal Water and Power Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said on Monday.

He told a press conference at WAPDA House that Sindh and NWFP had passed a resolution against the dam’s construction. “Kalabagh Dam is a controversial issue and the government does not want to hurt the people of any province,” he said.

Load shedding: Earlier, addressing a ceremony to open bidding proposals for the installation of two separate 500 megawatts power projects at Faisalabad and Dadu, he said load shedding in the country would end by August 14, 2009. He said the government would utilise the power crisis to generate more electricity.

He said bids for another 1,200MW power project had also been invited and would be opened in the presence of media on June 30. “We are also trying to pursue hydroelectric power generation, as well as alternative energy systems such as wind and solar energy,” he added.

Ashraf said the government was undertaking all-out efforts to cope with load shedding by adopting a rational mechanism to generate more electricity through the private sector.

Two companies: Earlier, under the Private Power and Infrastructure Board, two companies were selected for generating 1,000MW electricity through thermal power plants.

Engro Chemical Pakistan had the highest bid for a power plant at Dadu, while Rupa Energy Private Limited had the highest bid for the Faisalabad power plant. After the technical proposals are approved, the bidders will apply to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority for setting a tariff.

The Kalabagh Dam issue has emerged as the most controversial subject in the 50 years history of Pakistan. A Multipurpose project, aiming to control and use flood water for irrigation purpose and to produce inexpensive hydel power—a purely technical subject falling in the domain of professional engineers—was discussed and debated by mostly ignorant politicians who opposed the Dam more for political reasons than for any technical defect in the project.

Kalabagh Dam has seen many ups and downs during the last 12 years when politicians ruled the country. whosrever came into power—PPP headed by Benazir Bhutto or PML led by Mian Nawaz Sharif, fully convinced of the usefulness of the project for the national economy, wanted to go ahead with the project but could not do so because of the opposition of some regional parties led by the Awani National Party (ANP).

The former Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif announced a national agenda of his priorities in his historic speech after nuclear explosions in May 98. But soon ANP with other political group against or annoyed by Nawaz Sharif personally exploited the situation and started a anti dam movement. Main opponents are the ANP leaders of the NWFP who, after having been defeated on Pukhtoonkhwa, have found a new issue to settle score with their one time ally, Nawaz Sharif. They are also get support from all those vested interests who feel threatened by the national

agenda of the Prime Minister aiming to take over all illegal land from their possession in violation of earlier land reforms for distribution amongst the landless haris.

The ousted Prime Minister, in the meanwhile, created so many other crisis for himself that he could not implement any of his plans. Experts are, however, unanimous about the imperative need to augment the water and power resources of the country and there is no better way to do the needful than have the Kalabagh Dam in place without any further delay. Addressing a press conference the life member of PEC and Incharge of Water Distribution Accord, Mehmoodul Hasan Siddiqui and another PEC member and Head of Hydraulics and Irrigation department of University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Professor Abdus Sattar Shakir advocated the construction of Kalabagh Dam and said that agriculture sector require water while industrial sector requires prompt power supply at cheaper rate and both purposes can be served with the construction of Kalabagh Dam. Construction of Kalabagh Dam, with an approximate cost of 5.5 billion dollars would culminate in an average annual economic benefit of Rs. 33.2 billion to the government and would enable us to generate hydel power which is much cheaper than thermal and nuclear’, they said.

Shakir said that Kalabagh Dam which, according to the new design, would be having a height of 915 feet above sea level, with a storage capacity of 6.1 million Acre Feet (MAF), water would be able to generate 2400 Mega Watt hydel power which can be maximized up to 3600. M.W.

Siddiqui said that in the Water Apportionment Accord 1991, there is an built provision for Kalabagh Dam as allocation of live water through our irrigation system has been enhanced from 103 Million Acre Feet (MAF) to 110 MAF which would be distributed among the provinces with a 37 per cent each of this allocation to both Punjab and Sindh while 14 and 12 per cent to N.W.F.P. and Balochistan respectively for agriculture sector promotion.

“But if we fail to enhance water storage capacity, then we would only be redistributing water shortage among the provinces which has been done with much difficulty in the past”. He said that sedimentation process is gradually decreasing the storage capacity of Mangla (9.68 MAF), Tarbela (5.34 MAF) and Chashma (0.78 MAF) which totally comes around to 15.74 MAF.

They said that our rivers run with 150 MAF water out of which 43 MAF usually goes into sea annually and we could only be able to store 6.1 MAF water if Kalabagh Dam is constructed. About objections of the Sindh regarding ruination of land in the wake of abundant presence of salty water at sea coasts he said, still rest of the water that is 43 MAF-61 MAF would go into the sea.

There can be no two opinion that Pakistan is in dire need of efficient water management and supply of cheap electricity. Dams are the way to meet this need. But this dam has become a bone of contention, on the one side of which is the federal government and the Punjab, and on the other the rest of the three provinces, whose assemblies had passed resolutions against the project before the October 12 action. Therefore, it has to be handled very carefully because it has the potential to jolt the federation. The official statement before the LHC talks about efforts to build consensus on the scheme among the provinces. Hopefully, that is actually the case, although there is nothing publicly visible. It is advisable that the Musharraf government should give a

comprehensive account of its policy towards the Kalabagh Dam before it erupts into another controversy.

ISLAMABAD, Jan 17: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday announced that the construction of Bhasha dam would start next month to be followed by four others, including the Kalabagh dam, by 2016.

“This is time for decision. This is time for action. We cannot delay any more to build big water reservoirs,” he said in an address to the nation over radio and television.

Gen Musharraf said being the president of the country and representing the entire nation he would avoid taking decisions without consensus.

It is against this backdrop, he declared, that Munda, Kalabagh, Akori and Kurrum Tangi dams would be built after the Bhasha dam with a view to removing the growing shortage of water and power in the country.

He advocated immediate construction of Kalabagh dam as its feasibility study and structural design were ready, but assured that “since there are doubts and apprehensions about Kalabagh in Sindh and to some extent in NWFP, it is not immediately being undertaken”.

Yet, the president said, he would continue trying to convince the people of Sindh and NWFP about the need for the Kalabagh dam and asked them “not to play in the hands of vested interest”.

“Kalabagh is extremely necessary for farmers and the people of Sindh and if they continue to oppose it, eventually their lands will go dry creating a huge problem for the country,” he stressed.

He said the government cannot keep quiet over the wastage of 35-40 per cent of water every year and added that there would be fair distribution of water among provinces.

“The construction of new dams is the most important issue today to sustain roughly 7 per cent GDP growth annually,” he said, adding that there was an urgent need of area intensification to improve the agricultural output, especially in Sindh.

The president was of the view that if there was no proper management of the available water during Kharif and Rabi crops, things would worsen. New dams, he said, were necessary for both agriculture and obtaining the required electricity.

“Once the country got increased hydropower, it will help people purchase electricity on nominal charges compared to expensive thermal power.”

He quoted a World Bank report which says Pakistan’s water resources are rapidly running dry and the country needs large dams, particularly the Kalabagh dam. According to the report, every

new dam will substantially add to the country’s GDP and that Pakistan must look into the issue seriously.

“But unfortunately the most vehement opposition to Kalabagh comes from Sindh which is on the low riparian,” he pointed out.

Pakistan, he said, needed to effectively utilize the water of Jhelum, Chenab and Indus rivers and added that over 33 million acres of land was cultivable which required huge amount of water that would only come through major dams.

He cited examples of China, India, Iran and Turkey where a number of new dams were being built. He warned that the existing water shortage of 9 million acre feet (MAF) would reach 25MAF if new dams were not undertaken.

“The projected shortage of water in 2020 will be 20MAF and that is why we need to have minimum two big dams by 2030,” he emphasized.

“It is the question of life and death, especially for Sindh. Therefore, I appeal to you not to listen to those who are against the building of big dams,” he asked the people of Sindh.

All the three committees working on the issue –- parliamentary committee headed by Nisar Memon, technical committee led by A.N.G Abbasi and the foreign consultant group — have concluded that the construction of Kalabagh, Bhasha and other big dams is highly important for the country. These committees also called for adequately implementing the 1991 Water Accord.

The president rejected notions that Sindh would go dry and damage would be caused to the districts of Mardan, Nowshera, Swabi, etc., if the Kalabagh dam was built.

He said the people of Badin and Thatta were weeping because of the acute water shortage. “And those who oppose Kalabagh are distorting facts; they are not the friends of Sindhis,” he said and added that the required amount of water would go downstream Kotri and that about 10,000mw of additional electricity would be available after the construction of the dam.

Currently, the president said, 83 per cent and 17 per cent water was available for Kharif and Rabi crops, respectively. After the construction of Kalabagh, the two crops would get 60 per cent and 40 per cent water, respectively.

He said sea intrusion would stop and tail-end growers would get increased quantity of water in Sindh after the Kalabagh dam and this would also help release additional water to the Chutiari dam.

Gen Musharraf said that no big dam could be built on Jhelum river as it already had Mangla dam on it. Chenab was not fit for any dam owing to less water availability, he said, adding that the only option left was to construct a dam on Indus and this requirement could be fulfilled by Kalabagh dam.

Bhasha dam, he said, would get water from glaciers at Chilas. Katzara dam at Skardu would also receive water from glaciers, while Kalabagh dam would get water by monsoon rains and that too in big quantity.

“Therefore, this is the most suitable dam and I would certainly succeed in convincing my Sindhi brothers on it,” he asserted.

“I will not allow Sindhis to face destruction by not having a dam like the Kalabagh. I am a Sindhi myself and I would never go against my province.”

“Had Punjab been against Sindh, it would not have given additional 6,000 cusecs of water to Sindh,” President Musharraf said.

He said the height of the Kalabagh dam would be 915 feet while Nowshera and Swabi were situated at a height of 940 feet. As such fears of having water-logging and inundation in those areas had no foundation, he added.

CABINET: Earlier, the cabinet decided that work on Bhasha and Munda dams would be started next month. It resolved that reservations on Kalabagh dam would continue to be addressed until a ‘viable decision’ was reached on it.

“Work on Bhasha and Munda dams will start in the first or second week of February,” said Information Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmed while briefing reporters about the meeting which was held with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in the chair. Presiding over the meeting, the prime minister said that the need for water reservoirs was paramount for the country’s economy and agriculture.

Every province, he claimed, would get its due share of water.

Since more than a half-century, the giant dam project of Kalabagh, on the Indus River, keeps on bringing about controversies in Pakistan. They have recently been fuelled by the announcement, by the central government, of its will to revive the job. The arguments concern the economical need to build the facility as well as its social and environmental impacts. They become further complicated by political issues in the bosom of the delicate balance of the Pakistan federal State. This article will try to explain the main data.

The dam

It is a earth filled dam, with a total volume of 26 millions cubic meters. Its height will reach 79 m, for a length of 3,35 km. Its gross storage capacity is 9,8 cubic kilometers for a live storage capacity 7,5 cubic kilometres.

It will be built near Mianwali (Punjab province), at three hours South-West from Islamabad by road. The average flow of the Indus River at this place is 110 cubic kilometers/year, made up of 72 % from the Higher Indus, 25 % from the Kabul River and 3 % from the Soan River.

Project history

The first studies date back from 1953-54. A site, now known as site B, was chosen 4 km downstream of the confluence of the Indus and Soan rivers, at 13 km upstream from the city of Kalabagh. The preliminary feasibility study ended in 1956. A second project was proposed by experts in 1966, which included deep sediment sluices to avoid rapid loss of storage capacity. At the same time, the Water And Power Development Authority (WAPDA) evaluated a second site (site A) 3 km downstream of site B. In 1972, a new feasibility study proposed a third site (site C) upstream of site B. A fourth one (site D), upstream of the confluence of the Indus with the Soan river was also proposed. It was further followed by four other sites (CE, E, F and G). In 1975, a eight volumes synthesis of the various studies was proposed to the government. The following step was the sending, in June 1980, of a mission of the World Bank, which will give its agreement to the project. In 1982, Kalabagh Consultants were fielded to carry out Project Planning, Detailed Design and preparation of Contract Documents. The United Nation Development Program (UNDP) gave its support in 1984, and the building was scheduled for the middle of 1987. But the veto of the Southern Provinces will stop the project, and, in the present state, the dam will not be completed until 2011.

power sources of Pakistan are thermal plants (7,77 GW) and hydro power plants (4,83 GW), with a small nuclear production (137 MW). The main producers are WAPDA (85 %) and Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC, 13 %). The demand is growing at an average rate of about 7 % annually, leading to energy shortages. The peak capacity shortage often reaches 30 % of the installed capacity. Power consumption per capita is, at the present time, 311 kWh/year (36 % more than in India).

Oil products necessary to the running of thermal plants are 75 % imported. The Thar Desert shelters 22 billion tons of coal. The identified hydroelectric potential of the country is estimated to be about 38 GW, of which 13 % are exploited at the present time.

The power plant associated to the Kalabagh dam will have an electrical power of 3,6 GW, and will supply current to 70 million people. The annual production will be 11,4 TWh. Conjunctive operation with the Tarbela dam will add 600 MW of peaking capability and additional 336 TWh of annual generation.

Water supply

Usable rivers have an average annual flow of 175 cubic kilometers, of which 130 (74 %) are used for irrigation. The per capita water availability is 1 200 cubic meters per year at present (against 5 000 in 1947). Installed dams store 9 % of the total annual water inflows (33 % in India). The live storage capacity of Kalabagh reservoir, 7,5 cubic kilometers, represents 7 % of the total inflow. The incoming flow will be maintained excepted during 40 to 50 days at high flood period, where it will be used to refill the dam.

The dam must allow for the irrigation of 100 000 square kilometers, mainly in Punjab. Sindh province would get an additional flow of about 2,6 cubic kilometers in accordance with the 1991

Inter Provinces Water Accord. It is estimated that 30 to 40 % of the water released for irrigation is lost on account of seepage through the bed of the network of canals and channels.

Other advantages

Kalabagh dam will regulate the Indus River floods, which are responsible of the loss, in recent years, of 4 000 square kilometers of cultivated land in Thatta and Badin districts. Its building will provide 35 000 jobs. Lastly, Tarbela dam will soon be out of operation due to siltation in its reservoir and the seismic risks, and Kalabagh dam will take over from it.

Drawbacks

The sole Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study for Kalabagh Dam was executed by WAPDA, through consultants, in 1984. Opponents to the dam’s building put forward some drawbacks:

Population displacements and need of infrastructures rebuilding:120 000 people will have to be evacuated, to which 78 000 in Punjab and 42 000 in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP). The relocation would require the purchase of 300 square kilometers of irrigated land by the government. The town of Nowshera (200 000 inhabitants) is at risk of been flooded. Roads, railways and bridges will have to be rebuilt. Traffic on the Indus River will also be interrupted and the historic town of Makhad will disappear.

Cultivated land and mineral resources submersion:The reservoir will have a length of 150 km and extend 16 km upstream of confluence between the Kabul River and the Indus. The project will submerge 5 670 square kilometers of land, of which 71 % in the Punjab and 28 % in the NWFP. 26 % of the submerged land is cultivated. The oil fields of Tut will also be inaccessible.

Effect on the river eco-system:Indus River brings down, yearly, 600 million tons of silt, it is the fifth river in the world for the amount of sediment carried. Before the dams building, half of it fertilized the Indus plain and the other half deposited in the delta. Today, just 36 million tons pass the upstream barrages and dams. Some aquatic species will see the acceleration of their disappearance: the Palla fish (Tenualosa ilisha), the bullahan (Platanista minor, Indus blind dolphin) and the khagga (Arius thalassinus, Giant Catfish). Fishing produces only 500 tons, against 5 000 in 1950. Water quality is rapidly deteriorating. Upstream of the dam, the water table will rise, leading to increased salinity of the surrounding land.

Effects on the Indus delta:Before the 1949 partition, the delta was spread over 35 square kilometers, with nine perennial streams. At the present time, its area has reduced to 25 square kilometers, with only two perennial streams. 2 400 square kilometers of riverine forests and 1 050 square kilometers of mangrove forest (a loss of 40 %) have disappeared. It is feared that the tides of the Arabian Sea will flood a growing area.

Effects on fauna and flora in the vicinity of the reservoir:The dam can result in the destruction of wildlife sanctuaries, forests and natural lakes likeManchar, Kinjhar, Hadero, Haleji and Chotiari. It will also affect migratory birds coming from Siberia and Kazakhstan.

Cost

The total cost of the dam is evaluated at 4,9 billions euros, of which 77,9 millions euros for land purchase. Since today, 16,5 millions euros have already been spend in studies for this project. The yearly awaited benefits will be 497 millions euros (87 % for power generation and 11 % for irrigation).

Political controversies

Since Punjab appears to be the great beneficiary of the Kalabaghdam building, Sindh, Baluchistan and NWFP strongly oppose this project. These three provinces have passed resolutions adverse to its realization. It also divides the poranks of the political paries, notably the ruling Pakistan Muslim League, the People Party and Nawaz Sharif’s party (opposition). The Muttahida Qaumi movement, who participate to the government, is the o,nly one to have expressed itself against, even at the cost of losing power. 56 % of the 140 millions of Pakistan inhabitants live in Punjab.

Pakistan President, General Pervez Musharraf has revived the project on 11 December 2005. Some are specukating that it could be a way of shifting the focus from widespread criticism of the government and the army’s inaction in the wake of the recent earthquake in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and some parts of the NWFP. The opponents have immediately mobilized, the Natioanl Awami Party, representing the Pashto ethnic group in the NWFP gathering 20 000 people in a demonstration at Jahangira at the end of December 2005.