# Govt's 'delay' of Bhasha Dam till 2037, represents an 'existential threat' to Pakistan.



## waheed gul

__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=592092664241617





ایک نہایت سنسنی خیز رپورٹ ، اسوقت تمام پاکستان آنکھیں بند کیے سویا ہوا ہے کسی کو کوئی فکر نہیں ہے ۔ کالاباغ ڈیم تو خیر سے بنایا ہی نہیں گیا اور اوپر سے بھاشا ڈیم پہ بھی کام روک دیا گیا ہے ۔ کل کو جب موٹر پمپوں سے پانی کی بجائے ریت نکلے گی پھر ہوش آئے گا کیونکہ پاکستانی کا زیر زمین پانی کا ذخیرہ بھی ختم ہورہا ہے ۔


*Bhasha Dam delayed till 2037

Munawar Hasan Wednesday, July 09, 20

LAHORE: The commissioning of multi-purpose Diamer Bhasha Dam on River Indus has been postponed by another about 17 years as this mega project, having strategic importance, is now expected to be completed in the year 2037 instead of 2020, literally converting the water crisis into an existential threat to the country.
*
According to documents available with The News, the Dasu Hydropower Project is being given preference to the Diamer Bhasha Dam, ignoring imminent threat of water shortage and floods.

A Wapda spokesman said Wapda was vigorously working on the project. This change in time frame has been termed as a strategic blunder being committed by the departments concerned which will leave the country in a famine-like situation due to shortage of water. On the other hand, the country will be a target of catastrophic floods.

Having failed to make any headways in arranging finances for the mega Bhasha Dam project, sources said the authorities concerned had decided to put its construction on the backburner.Resultantly, a policy shift has been made to give preference to hydel generation to water storage and flood mitigation with initiating work on the Dasu Hydropower Project. Putting aside the previous plan to first construct the Diamer Bhasha Dam, the prime minister laid the foundation stone at the ground-breaking ceremony of Dasu Hydropower Project a couple of weeks back.

The construction of Dasu Hydropower Project has automatically delayed the construction of Diamer Bhasha Dam upstream on River Indus, sources said, adding the estimate about river flows, sediment volume, power generation and flood size had been made for the Dasu Hydropower Project while taking into consideration the scenario without the Bhasha Dam in the upstream.

The expected commissioning date of the Bhasha Dam has been mentioned on page 7-48 of the Environmental & Social Assessment Report of Dasu Hydropower Project (reviewed draft-March 2014) as the year 2037. It is stated that before completion of Bhasha Dam, the Dasu Hydropower Project in the downstream will cater to the needs of power base load while after commissioning of the dam, it will work as a peaking facility in view of the guaranteed flows of the Bhasha Dam.

Wapda seems to be tightlipped on the important aspect of water sector projects. Its spokesman did not accept or deny the content of the report about deferment of the Bhasha Dam. After three days of deliberations, its spokesman said, “Wapda will not comment on news about delay in the construction of Bhasha Dam.” He insisted that work on the Bhasha Dam was going on vigorously.

The building of Bhasha Dam is being deferred at a time when Pakistan enters into acute level of ‘physical water scarcity’. The per capita water availability per year in Pakistan, which is located in an arid climate zone, is presently estimated at 1007 cubic metre which will further reduce to 999 cubic metre with the advent of 2015. In the year 2037, when the Bhasha Dam is expected to be commissioned, water availability will touch rock bottom of 711 cubic metres per capita, which is below than the shortage of water prevailing in African countries.

The population of Pakistan will be around 262 million against present population of 185 million. Will we be able to feed this population with scarce water resources?

As far as flood mitigation impact is concerned, the Bhasha Dam provides an excellent solution. According to Wapda’s own assessment, had the Diamer Bhasha Dam been constructed before 2010, it could have saved the flood devastation amounting to $10 billion.

Increase in water storage capacity is also vital due to the fact that Tarbela and Mangla Dams are being silted up. It is estimated that by 2025, the Tarbela Dam will be silted about half the original capacity, slashing its water shortage capacity significantly. In this scenario, deferring or slowing down Bhasha will have detrimental consequences on water availability in the coming years. Seasonal water storage is number one benefit of Bhasha which Dasu cannot provide.

One of the major reasons in deferment of Bhasha Dam is lack of funds. Wapda, while ignoring all the facts about the looming water crisis and threat of floods, readily opted to build Dasu project as the World Bank showed willingness in provision of finances for it.

Even if the finances are arranged for the Bhasha Dam, sources claimed that Wapda has not the capacity of simultaneously working on two mega projects. One project has to be delayed for making way for the construction of another, a senior official said.

Last but not the least, the construction of Dasu Hydropower Project ahead of Bhasha Dam will further complicate problems associated with the gigantic logistic issues involving upgradation of Karakoram Highway (KKH). Leave alone requirement of KKH expansion and construction of numerous bridges over a stretch of hundreds of kilometers, the lake of Dasu Hydropower will submerge about 50-km-long stretch of KKH, further delaying the work on Bhasha Dam in the upstream.

Just for a reference, the Attaabad Lake, which was formed further upstream as a result of massive landsliding in the year 2010, submerged about 20 km stretch of KKH. A fraction of this part of the affected highway is yet to be reconstructed and all the passengers and even vehicles are being ferried on boats from there onwards.

Commenting on the developing scenario, an expert said, instead of building the Diamer Bhasha Dam on war footing basis, the decision of going ahead with construction of Dasu Hydropower Project is not a wise approach given the fact that it will not address the two biggest problems i.e. water shortage and flood mitigation.

“By promoting the construction of Dasu over Bhasha, we accept substantial loss of energy every year and water shortage while completely ignoring the flood mitigation benefits,” he observed.

The Bhasha reservoir will have the capacity to perform excellent sediment-retention function for a long period of 35 to 40 years. At Tarbela, sediment delta is getting closer to its power intakes and posing threat to its functioning.

Retention of sediment in the Bhasha reservoir will provide relief to Tarbela and Dasu project as well. The Diamer Bhasha Dam would increase the life of Tarbela Dam by 35 years due to retention of sediment while power generation at all power projects downstream will generate additional power due to sustained flows of water.

Dasu, being a run-of-river hydropower project with a small reservoir capacity to cater for power peaking needs, will face severe problems of silting. If it is constructed before Bhasha, flushing of sediments deposited in its reservoir will be required from early years of its operation. Low level flushing tunnels have been provided for this purpose. However, experts said, a successful flushing can only be done with a large discharge of water at low reservoir level. This implies that during flushing, which will extend for about six weeks in summer every year, the power house will have to be shut down.

Therefore, production of hydel power will be denied when it is most needed. As per official estimate, about 20 to 30 percent reduction in power generation will have to be borne in power generation due to flushing of sediments. For a detailed Wapda version, these points were also emailed to the director public relations at his official address on July 1, 2014, which he acknowledged on the same day and promised to give his organisation’s version.

He later said on the phone that officials concerned were not available so he would get their comments tomorrow. Next day, he called to say that he had got the comments on the points but he would share them after getting advice from the chairman of Wapda, who was, according to him, in Islamabad.

The next day on July 03, 2014, the director public relations again phoned and said that there would be a meeting on the Bhasha Dam next week and it would be better not to publish this story. Finally, he said Wapda will not comment on the story.“But you can mention it in your story that Wapda did not comment on this news,” he concluded.

Bhasha Dam delayed till 2037 - thenews.com.pk

Reactions: Like Like:
3


----------



## Bilal.

If the work on bhasha dam and other water storage projects is not started immediately, this nation will suffer devastating consequences by 2030-2035 of extreme water and food shortage.

Reactions: Positive Rating Positive Rating:
1 | Like Like:
4


----------



## Dubious

Bilal. said:


> If the work on bhasha dam and other water storage projects is not started immediately, this nation will suffer devastating consequences by 2030-2035 of extreme water and food shortage.


someone tell NS that!

Just like how these politicians pushed us back on electrical crises due to PPP not doing anything now NS is following in its footsteps! Bravo!

Reactions: Like Like:
2


----------



## Bilal.

Akheilos said:


> someone tell NS that!
> 
> Just like how these politicians pushed us back on electrical crises due to PPP not doing anything now NS is following in its footsteps! Bravo!



We as a nation think along the line ke aaj mazzay kerlo kal kis ne dekha hai... Experts kept on predicting electricity crisis and the governments did nothing, they predicted gas crisis and the governments slept... Now everyone is running around like headless chicken when we are neck deep in the above crisis. The experts have warned of dire water and food shortage if new water storage projects are not built and everyone is sleeping and what the result will be is not hard to predict.

I would be the happiest person if he government starts implementing these projects.

Reactions: Like Like:
2


----------



## Viper0011.

Bilal. said:


> If the work on bhasha dam and other water storage projects is not started immediately, this nation will suffer devastating consequences by 2030-2035 of extreme water and food shortage.



Is this one of them hate the current government threads? From what I know (while sitting in the US) is that there are about 6 medium and large size water reservoir and hydro electric projects being built. There are two projects that the state government in Karachi doesn't want to undertake......how's that the federal government's fault when your state level government doesn't cooperate? Land acquisition, and all is by law done at the state level. Feds can only help with money......


----------



## Bilal.

orangzaib said:


> Is this one of them hate the current government threads? From what I know (while sitting in the US) is that there are about 6 medium and large size water reservoir and hydro electric projects being built. There are two projects that the state government in Karachi doesn't want to undertake......how's that the federal government's fault when your state level government doesn't cooperate? Land acquisition, and all is by law done at the state level. Feds can only help with money......



Sir, no i like to be objective in my criticism and don't believe in bashing anyone for the heck of it. As far as I know all the hydel projects are run of the river type and are not meant for water storage. You can correct me if I am wrong and I would be thankful for that. As for land acquisition, if there is a will to build something such small barriers can be overcomed easily. After all land acquisition for other projects like gidani, Dasu, etc. was also achieved easily. Plus these dams are federal projects, not provincial. The projects in Karachi that you are talking about are related water supply and sewerage which is indeed provincial level subject but I am talking about big water storage dams like basha.

Reactions: Like Like:
2


----------



## TheFlyingPretzel

The scientists who predicted a water shortage in the region, and whose predictions have cause widespread panic in the sub-continent, have re-visited their studies on the rate of melt of the Himalayan glaciers. A friend of mine used to say that the Himalayas are an infinite source of water for the Indus. There may be more truth to his words now, than ever.


*Himalaya glacial melt set to peak by 2070*

The river systems fed by the glaciers of the are a vital source of water, food and energy for hundreds of millions of people downstream. Trying to predict the impact of climate change on glaciers in such a large and inaccessible area as the Himalayas – with research made more difficult by bitter intra-regional rivalries – is no easy task. *While some studies say rising temperatures in the mountains and the melt of glaciers will lead to falling river levels downstream and drought in what is one of the most densely populated regions on the planet, other reports paint a more sanguine picture.*

In a study in the journal Nature Geoscience, scientists say that in two of the region’s most important river basins – the Ganges and the Indus – *water levels are unlikely to drop over the next century.* *This contrasts with earlier studies – including one by the same authors – suggesting water levels in these rivers would drop significantly by 2050, threatening the livelihoods of millions.*

The new report, Rising river flows throughout the twenty-first century in two Himalayan glacierized watersheds, says that in some parts of the Himalayan region, river flow losses as a result of less glacial meltwater will be compensated by an increase in monsoon rains.The lead author of the report is Dr Walter Immerzeel, a mountain hydrology and climate change specialist at Utrecht University and at present a visiting scientist at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Nepal.

Four years ago Immerzeel and his colleagues published a report predicting a considerable drop in water levels in the same rivers by 2050. “We are now using a more advanced glacier model that takes into consideration how slowly glaciers respond to climate change” says Dr Immerzeel. Marc Bierkens, professor of Hydrology at Utrecht and a report co author, says the modelling research shows the size of the glaciers in the watershed of the Indus and the Ganges will decrease during the 21st century. *“Yet, surprisingly enough, water discharge in this region is increasing, rather than decreasing.* The reasons vary greatly from one watershed to another.

*Rainfall impacts*

Bierkens told Climate News Network that the latest research findings were the result of using a more sophisticated ice model together with a new set of climate models and the fact that, especially in the western Himalayas, the increase in rainfall with height is larger than previously thought. To understand the impact of climate change on river discharge, researchers created computer models of glacier movements and water balance in both the Indus and the Ganges watersheds. The models indicated that in the eastern watershed – in Langtang in Nepal where the Ganges has its source – the relatively smaller glaciers melt quite quickly but an increase in monsoon rains leads to a growth in water discharge.

*In the western watershed – in Baltoro in Pakistan where the Indus has its source – the climate is dryer and colder and has much larger glaciers.*The models show discharges in the area are increasing, mainly as a result of more glacial melting. Such melting, says the study, will peak around 2070 and thereafter drop but will be compensated for by an increase in precipitation. *“While the results of the research predict a somber future for the Himalayan glaciers, they offer some good news for water and food security in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan” says a report summary.*

Himalaya glacial melt set to peak by 2070


----------



## Bilal.

@TheFlyingPretzel

You are mixing two different things. You are pointing to the melting of glaciers which is another problem. I am referring to the water shortage in terms of lost capacity of our current reservoirs due to siltation and the increased demand due to increasing population and hence increased demand from agriculture sector to support the food needs of the population.

Reactions: Like Like:
2


----------



## Dubious

Bilal. said:


> We as a nation think along the line ke aaj mazzay kerlo kal kis ne dekha hai...


 This very nature makes us less Islamic coz god fearing people (hypothetically will know kal nai dekha par ALLAH poochay ga uss walay din ko)...sadly that awareness doesnt exist at all...


Bilal. said:


> Experts kept on predicting electricity crisis and the governments did nothing, they predicted gas crisis and the governments slept... Now everyone is running around like headless chicken when we are neck deep in the above crisis. The experts have warned of dire water and food shortage if new water storage projects are not built and everyone is sleeping and what the result will be is not hard to predict.
> I would be the happiest person if he government starts implementing these projects.


yes, never listen to experts after all they only wasted their time in studies to get a degree while "brainy" politicians kissed *** ...and experts wasted time to do research while politicians ate the country up!

Reactions: Like Like:
2


----------



## Viper0011.

Bilal. said:


> Plus these dams are federal projects, not provincial.


Are you sure about it? I wasn't referring to Karachi water supply. I was referring to Sindh Gov't. Which you clearly took the responsibility off of. The federal government, technically shouldn't even interfere with provincial or state level projects like the dams. The dams are at the state level, the ELECTRICITY they produce, probably goes through a federally administered transmission line. Two very different things. People living in a State are referred to as such, otherwise, there won't be a punjabi or whatever other stuff you have. Everyone would be "islamabadi" lol, i just created a new term.

Your posts clearly blame the current government for issues existing for over 70 years. Is that even sensible to do? Remind you, your current government is implementing more projects as we speak, than in the ENTIRE history of your country!


----------



## Kabira

@orangzaib

I don't know how true is this report, seem bogus. But do you think anyone will be ready to finance Bhasha dam? Because unlike for Dasu, WB already backed out of Bhasha dam. 

Pakistan need $12-14 billion over 8-10 years.


----------



## TheFlyingPretzel

Bilal. said:


> @TheFlyingPretzel
> 
> You are mixing two different things. You are pointing to the melting of glaciers which is another problem. I am referring to the water shortage in terms of lost capacity of our current reservoirs due to siltation and the increased demand due to increasing population and hence increased demand from agriculture sector to support the food needs of the population.



There is, admittedly, a need to increase our reservoir capacity but, as the report indicates, fear of a water-crisis in the region may be premature to say the least. The crisis was predicted largely based upon the fear that the glaciers would melt out completely by 2035, and of reports suggesting increasing salinity in Pakistan's rivers and tributaries, thereby leaving Pakistan solely at the mercy of rainwater.



> ‘One of the most water-stressed countries in the world, not far from being classified as water scarce’, Pakistan faces an existential threat- one that could potentially hobble its already modest economic growth. In a country where growth is largely driven by agriculture, a shortage of water could have serious ramifications. Pakistan’s storage capacity, ideally recommended to hover around 1,000 days given its climate, stands at a meager 30-day supply (“Water storage capacity just for 30 days”, 2013). With water availability on the decline and high rates of population growth, Pakistan appears to be destined to make the transition to a water scarce country.
> 
> Pakistan’s glaciers are expected to melt by 2035 according to Zahid Hamid, (the federal minister for Science and Technology) which will have a disastrous effect on fresh water flows.





> Of Pakistan’s total area, nearly 13,680 sq km is covered by glaciers that help boost river turnoff in warm weather. According to scientists, in just a period of 30 years, glaciers in the Himalayas have diminished by nearly one-fifth and it is believed that glaciers in this region will have disappeared by 2035 the effects of which will be devastating for the 1.3 billion people living in downstream river basins provides food and energy.
> 
> The Hindu Kush-Himalayan-Tibetan region is also known as the ‘third pole’ for its potential in contributing to rising sea levels as the area has experienced a rise in temperature of 1.2 degrees Celsius over the past 120 years which is greater than the increase in the global temperature. (AFP,2011) As a result of this enhanced warming, glacial retreat is accelerating across much of the region, with Himalayan glaciers retreating faster than the world average.





> Watered by the glaciers of the Hindu Kush and the Karakoram, Indus is the largest river of Pakistan and the primary source of freshwater—it helps fulfill household and industrial needs and support nearly 90% of agriculture. The eastern tributaries of the Indus are Jhelum, Ravi, Chenab and Sutlej. According to the Indus Water Treaty (1960), India was given control over Beas, Ravi and Sutlej due to which they are left with less water as they flow into Pakistan.
> 
> There are number of small rivers which join the west of the Indus of which biggest river is Kabul. Other rivers include Swat, Tochi, Kurram and Gomal. The volume of these rivers increases during summers due to the melting of snows but decreases during the winter season.




http://spearheadresearch.org/SR_CMS/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Pakistans-_Water_Crisis_part-1.pdf

Although sedimentation too is a factor which needs consideration when factoring in the availability of water resources, to my mind it is of lesser importance than the availability of glacial meltwater. Because unlike sedimentation, which can be remedied by the construction or expansion of dams, there is no solution to the depletion of our glaciers.

Case in point, Mangla:


> The Mangla reservoir had an initial capacity of 5.88 Million Acre-feet (MAF), which came down to 4.674 MAF in 2005 owing to sedimentation. This created the need for a dam raising project aimed at raising the height by that was completed in 2009 at a cost of Rs. 101.384 billion. This project effectively raised the dam height to 1242 feet from 1202 feet and increased storage capacity to 7.39 MAF.



Tarbela:


> The lifespan of Tarbela dam was initially predicted to be around 50 years due to the fact that the river carries huge amounts of sediment (estimated to be around 430 million tons per year) which is now expected to extend to 85 years since inception



Of greater concern too, than sedimentation, are the construction of Indian dams i.e. Baglihar on the Chenab and Kishanganga on the Neelum-Jhelum, which have diverted a considerable amount of water from flowing into Pakistan. India plans to construct an estimated 200+ dams over the next 4 decades on every accessible tributary in the region.



> "India aims to construct 292 dams … doubling current hydropower capacity and contributing 6% to projected national energy needs. If all dams are constructed as proposed, in 28 of 32 major river valleys, the Indian Himalayas would have one of the highest average dam densities in the world, with one dam for every 32km of river channel.



Four Asian countries including Pakistan will build over 400 dams - thenews.com.pk

The argument for more dams and reservoirs, thus, is justified. But the justification lies not in sedimentation, or, as once was, the depletion of our glaciers. The justification, now, is India's race to plug every Himalayan tributary on its side of the border and, of course, as you correctly stated growing demand.

Reactions: Like Like:
1


----------



## Muhammad Omar

US to help raise funds for IDPs, Diamer Bhasha dam - Pakistan - DAWN.COM

PM orders land acquisition for Diamer-Bhasha dam - thenews.com.pk

Nawaz approves allocation for Bhasha, Dasu dams, motorways - Pakistan - DAWN.COM

delayed till 2037 how??


----------



## Bilal.

orangzaib said:


> Are you sure about it? I wasn't referring to Karachi water supply. I was referring to Sindh Gov't. Which you clearly took the responsibility off of. The federal government, technically shouldn't even interfere with provincial or state level projects like the dams. The dams are at the state level, the ELECTRICITY they produce, probably goes through a federally administered transmission line. Two very different things. People living in a State are referred to as such, otherwise, there won't be a punjabi or whatever other stuff you have. Everyone would be "islamabadi" lol, i just created a new term.
> 
> Your posts clearly blame the current government for issues existing for over 70 years. Is that even sensible to do? Remind you, your current government is implementing more projects as we speak, than in the ENTIRE history of your country!



First as I said you are referring to k4 and s3 projects which are provincial projects. I am talking large dams to different class of projects. Dams are built by WAPDA (federal government). 

If you read carefully I am blaming all governments including the current one. I don't know where you got the impression that I am blaming just the current government. Please quote in what part of my post I am blaming just the current government.


----------



## Muhammad Omar

*LAHORE: A Spokesperson of Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), while clarifying a news item titled ‘Basha Dam delayed till 2037’ published in The News (July 09), has strongly refuted the perception that the initiation of construction work on Dasu Hydropower Project will put the construction of Diamer Basha Dam Project at the backburner. He said that both projects are of vital importance in their own right and assuming them to be mutually exclusive is not correct.
*


Refuting the Correspondent’s assertion of Basha Dam being delayed till 2037 based on environmental and social assessment study, the Spokesperson said that said study is about sediment management wherein it has been concluded that there would be no adverse impact of the sediments on Dasu Hydropower Project even if Diamer Basha is not constructed till 2037. The Spokesman clarified that it should not be taken to mean that the Dam will be delayed by 17 years, adding that the environmental and social assessment study should have been read in correct perspective.



The Spokesperson clarified that keeping in view the multipurpose nature of Diamer Basha Dam Project; the government considers it a priority project. He said that the government’s seriousness for Diamer Basha Dam can be gauged from the fact that it allocated Rs17 billion in PSDPfor the Project during fiscal year 2013-14 and the same amount was released by January 2014.



The government, he said, also released an additional grant of Rs. 10 billion for the project in June 2014. He further said that the government has also earmarked Rs. 15 billion in the budget for FY 2014-15 to complete the land acquisition and resettlement-related infrastructure development.



The Spokesman, while referring to the Prime Minister’s statements, said that the Prime Minister had repeatedly said that his government is committed to construction of Diamer Basha Dam and Dasu Hydropower Project simultaneously to meet water and electricity requirements of the country. The government is not only in contact with friendly countries and International Financial Institutions (IFIs) but also exploring various innovative options for arrangement of funds for construction of Diamer Basha Dam, he added. He further said that a high-level meeting held under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on July 08 also discussed the different options regarding financial arrangements for Diamer Basha Dam.



He said that the Prime Minister is on record as having stated that the government would build Diamer Basha Dam out of its own resources if no foreign funding for the project was forthcoming. Following the Prime Minister’s categorical statement on Diamer Basha Dam being a priority project, all kinds of speculation and perception regarding alleged precedence of Dasu Hydropower Project on Diamer Basha Dam should come to an end, he stressed.



Justifying the rationale for construction of Dasu Hydropower Project, the Spokesperson said that the country has been facing acute electricity shortages in the country. He said that given the projected power and water needs, the government has decided to construct a number of hydropower projects and water reservoirs and Dasu Hydropower Project is one of them.



Dispelling perceptions created by ‘some experts’ regarding Dasu HPP, the Spokesperson said that the stage-1 of the Project will generate 2160 MW of low cost hydel electricity. He clarified that the plant factor of stage-1 is 65%, which is the highest among existing hydropower projects in the country, refuting the argument about Dasu HPP being peaking plant which has a plant factor of around 20-25%.



The Spokesperson said that WAPDA carried out extensive studies regarding sediment management and reservoir operations with the help of mathematical and physical models. He made it clear that no flushing would be required during first 15 years of Dasu HPP’s operation.



Munawar Hasan adds: The delay in completion of Diamer Bhasha Dam is not a perception of an individual but a notion clearly mentioned in the official report of Wapda. It is explicitly written in the report under the sub-heading of ‘7.8.9. Impact of Daily Reservoir Operations during Peak Production’. It states: “After commissioning of the Diamer-Basha project (expected in 2037) DHP will depend on the guaranteed water releases from the Basha reservoir. During this stage it has been recommended to operate the Dasu plant as a peaking facility during 4 - 6 hours per day to cover the peak demand for electricity in the country. There will be a daily storage-release cycle during the winter low-flow period, with strong fluctuating water levels”.



The power generation scenario being discussed in above-mentioned paragraph taken from official report has nothing to do with the sediment management as wrongly described by the spokesman of Wapda. This part of the report is about inflow pattern and subsequent power generation scenarios.



Unfortunately, Wapda spokesman still has no time-frame about the completion of this highly important water sector project, commissioning of which has become a matter of survival for all of us. He does not bother to given any date about commissioning of this project despite the fact that the foundation stone laying ceremony at dam site has been organized at least at two occasions. If project is to complete before 2037, it must be announced to give some relief to masses.



As far as present government’s resolve to give priority to Bhasha Dam and details of funding for early construction of the project is concerned, it is pity that the cost of this mega project has been doubled since first groundbreaking made in 2006 by the then President Pervez Musharraf. And government is still taking steps for arranging funds for the project. The ministry of Finance is reportedly planning to organize a function in USA in October, 2014 in this regards.



In this backdrop, one can imagine that the project is virtually off track as physical work is yet to be launched at dam site. I will not mention gigantic issues relating to expansion and upgradation of Karakoram High and land acquisition that hinders progress in this regard but will like to add that Wapda is very much part of the problem in interrupting KKH expansion by floating its own proposal to resolve logistic issues being an executing agency.



About justification given in rationale for construction of Dasu Hydropower Project, I will say only that mega dam like Bhasha provides cheap and abundant electricity, supplies water round-the-year for irrigation and other purposes and a tool to mitigate floods. Conversely, a hydropower project like Dasu can only be helpful in generation of electricity.



The experienced experts who had worked with the Wapda on several key positions has given input in story on delay in commissioning of Bhasha Dam till 2037 on the condition of anonymity. They are of the firm believe that inordinate delay in construction of Bhasha Dam is a recipe of disaster. In view above mentioned facts, The News stands by its story.


----------



## Bilal.

@TheFlyingPretzel, thank you for the excellent post. Am I correct to conclude that even though catastrophic glacier loss may not happen but still if reservoirs are not built on emergency basis we will still face dire water shortage due to:

1) Sedimentation of our current reservoirs
2) India building dams on it's side
3) Increasing demand

Plus, even now we have a fraction of recommended reserves. 30 days when the recommended level is 1000 days.

@Muhammad Omar, from your post:



> Munawar Hasan adds: The delay in completion of Diamer Bhasha Dam is not a perception of an individual but a notion clearly mentioned in the official report of Wapda. It is explicitly written in the report under the sub-heading of ‘7.8.9. Impact of Daily Reservoir Operations during Peak Production’. It states: “After commissioning of the Diamer-Basha project (expected in 2037) DHP will depend on the guaranteed water releases from the Basha reservoir. During this stage it has been recommended to operate the Dasu plant as a peaking facility during 4 - 6 hours per day to cover the peak demand for electricity in the country. There will be a daily storage-release cycle during the winter low-flow period, with strong fluctuating water levels”.

Reactions: Like Like:
1


----------



## TheFlyingPretzel

Bilal. said:


> @TheFlyingPretzel, thank you for the excellent post. Am I correct to conclude that even though catastrophic glacier loss may not happen but still if reservoirs are not built on emergency basis we will still face dire water shortage due to:
> 
> 1) Sedimentation of our current reservoirs
> 2) India building dams on it's side
> 3) Increasing demand



A sound prediction on water shortage in the distant future will always remain an exercise of elusiveness and, to some extent, futility for the prime reason that the factors taken into account, when making such a prediction, are not fixed but rather variable. For the purposes of illustration, take the example where the present discontentment with the performance of the government in Gilgit Baltistan rapidly deteriorates to the extent of area-denial by the local populace to the Federal Government and, therefore, all development projects on the construction of dams in the area have to be put on hold indefinitely pending the outcome of an operation by the armed forces. The scenario however unlikely in the immediate future cannot be completely ruled out considering the pace at which political instability goes from manageable to outright apeshit. But because a comprehensive discussion to that effect would be largely academic and, thoroughly conjectural, I shall limit myself to the 3 points which you have enunciated:

1)The sedimentation of current reservoirs, particularly Mangla and Tarbela, have been the subject of debate since long before the construction on the reservoirs even began. Although sedimentation is a concern, I would not go so far as to suggest that it will cause a “dire water shortage” in the region. As a matter of fact, the ablative effects of the sediments on the turbines are of a greater concern than the thought of the local population going thirsty. Fortunately, for us, sedimentation is a factor which is manageable. The following were suggested, at the 70th Annual Session Proceedings of the Pakistan Engineering Congress as measures which may be employed to delay the onset of sedimentation:



> (i) The sedimentation pattern within the reservoir can be managed by means of reservoir operational policy and by protecting low level tunnel intakes from sediment clogging. Raising the minimum reservoir level every year by 1.2 m would result in deposition of sediments in the upper reaches of reservoir only and thus would delay the advancement of sediment delta. Though this option entails no capital cost but would progressively result in increased loss of live storage. Minimum reservoir level of 417 m fixed in 1998 is being maintained in order to use optimally the available storage.





> (ii) Protection of tunnel intakes against sediment clogging by construction of an underwater dyke in front of the intakes as proposed by the Consultants has been studied. This option not only involves tremendous stability and construction problems but also its benefits in the absence of sediment flushing from the reservoir seems minimal. Reduction of sediment influx either by watershed management or by construction of check dams in the upper catchment is impractical as about 90% of total runoff is ominated by snow / glacier melt. Nothing can be done at this attitude on the steep mountains. Most of the catchment area is out of the monsoon zone. Water shed Management is being implemented by the NWFP Forest Department upto Besham and it has very little effect. Diamer Basha Dam shall have some positive impact as it would enhance its life.






> (iii) Evacuation of 200 million tons of yearly sediments by flushing through four low level high capacity outlets from the left bank has been proposed by the consultants.
> 
> (a) This option would comprise four 12 m diameter tunnels driven through the left abutment, possibly underneath the auxiliary spillway and discharging into its plunge pool. The abutment is weak. There have been a lot of problems and it has stabilised after a lot of remedial works. This proposal carries a large number of grey areas which need to be prudently addressed before taking it to a feasibility stage. WAPDA considers the under water dyke and the four tunnels an unprecedented option, the example of which does not exist else where in the World. Moreover, this option would in no time adversely affect the downstream hydropower Project of Ghazi Barotha and Chashma and kill them much earlier.
> 
> (b) Measures in terms of dredging of sediments from this mega reservoir are almost impossible. The dredging of sediment is generally carried out at seashores where mobilization from open seas is possible. The dredging option in case of Tarbela reservoir is not only prohibitive in cost but also is without any precedence and impractical. Any dredging proposal to be effective must provide for removal and disposal of 550,000 tons of sediments every day. Realistically, the target is unattainable even if hundred of dredgers and ancillary equipment are deployed over the reservoir stretch of 50 Sq. Km. to work round the clock.





> (iv) Measure to increase the live storage capacity of reservoir would entail raising of crest of all embankment dams. Considering the existing foundation conditions at the site and other geotechnical problems of the embankment dams, this option poses serious stability threats to the Project. Therefore, this option is also discounted as being nonfeasible and impractical.



http://pecongress.org.pk/images/upload/books/Paper659.pdf


2) A major threat to Pakistan’s water security is the construction of Indian dams which quell the flow of the Indus, the Jhelum and the Chenab. It just happens to be so, by design, or perhaps just sheer bad luck, that all three of the rivers to the use of which Pakistan has almost-exclusive rights under the IWT flow through India before entering into Pakistan.

This map should put things into perspective:







As is evident from the map, 4 of the 6 rivers which form the gist of the entire IWT originate in India; namely the Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi and the Beas. The Indus and the Sutlej are the only two exceptions, originating instead from Chinese Tibet before flowing into India and the Pakistan. As you can see, if India were to abrogate the IWT today, Pakistan would be the only adverse affectee, as it would have absolute control over all the water flowing into Pakistan. True to their mettle India has pondered the devastating effect which any action to this effect would have on Pakistan and has spawned many a voice that has called for the treaty to abrogated. One such voice is that of Raghu Yadav (whom I don’t take very seriously):



> Raghu Yadav, politico-social leader and thinker of the Ahirwals, has demanded that the Indus Water Treaty, which completed its 50 years on Sunday, should be abrogated because Pakistan has not lived up to its unwritten assurances to the then Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
> 
> Yadav, who has done research on the treaty and has also written a number of books on the issue, said Nehru had cleared the treaty because the then Pakistan ruler, Gen Ayub Khan, had assured him that if they could sort out the river water dispute amicably and Kashmir would not come in the way of good neighbourly relations between the two countries.



The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Haryana

There have been plans in the past, before the Baghliar and the Kishanganga, the design and location of which have been of significant concern to successive Pakistani governments. If India were to abrogate the treaty today, Dr. Nayyar Adam sheds light on just two immediate projects which India would proceed to undertake:



> Khapala Dam on the Shyok River in Indian Occupied Kashmir (a tributary of the Indus entering Baltistan). This would seriously affect flows in the Indus and proportionally increase the effective silt load from the Gilgit River into the Indus downstream of the Rondu Gorge. This would create a very detrimental impact on the current design of the proposed Basha Dam on the transverse course of the Indus in Diamer District of the Northern Areas.





> Wullar Barrage on the Jehlum River, which would inundate more land than could be commanded upstream of the point where the Jehlum enters Azad Kashmir. This barrage can easily submerge Srinagar, thus ensuring a “final solution” of the Kashmir issue from the Indian point of view. This is an effective lever to intimidate Pakistan.





> India would thus be free not only to starve Pakistan of water, but also to open sluice gates at will to generate devastating floods in the country.
> 
> India’s threat to abrogate the Indus Waters Treaty would destabilize the current status quo that both countries have learned to live with. Though both nations were far from satisfied with the treaty, it provides to this day a modus vivendi for them to live in peace with each other. The abrogation would mean the stirring up of resentments, fears and angers that have settled in the silt of 42 years. Even more crucial, it is a recipe to subject innocent people in Pakistan to hunger, famine and poverty. – Dr. Adam Nayyar



For further insight into the matter please go through this brilliant paper by Dr. Shaheen Akhtar on the challenges faced by the IWT: http://www.irs.org.pk/f310.pdf

While on this point, it may also be appropriate to point out that one of the major reasons why Pakistan simply refuses to back away from claiming absolute title to the occupied territory of Kashmir is this, water security. At present none of the rivers are in our exclusive control, although as a nation our future depends on them - a very concerning position indeed.


3) Perhaps the single greatest threat to Pakistan’s water security is the prolific increase in population, and thus demand, which Pakistan has seen since the partition. The increase in population has significantly strained our current water resources and has catapulted the issue to the top of both the “Will-most-certainly-destroy-Pakistan” list and, thankfully, the incumbent government’s “Fix-this-now” list.

A rough idea of the magnitude of this concern can be taken from this article:



> The per capita water availability in Pakistan has dwindled by over 406 percent from 5,260 cubic metres in 1951 to 1,038 cubic metres in 2010, only marginally above the 1,000 cubic metres per person threshold value under the global criteria, the report said.
> 
> “If the status quo continues, then by 2020, the water availability in Pakistan would further plummeted to 877 cubic metres per annum, which will further go down to an alarmingly level of 575 cubic feet in 2050,” it added.



Pakistan’s per capita water availability dwindling - thenews.com.pk

The Federal Minster for Planning has also been kind enough to grace us with these very concerning remarks too:



> He warned the water security was reminiscent to the national security as malnutrition could create national security crisis in the country. “Pakistan can store 40 percent of water, but unfortunately we are only storing 7 percent of it,” he revealed.
> 
> “The situation is aggravating due to our excessive reliance on underground water which is meeting more than 60% of agriculture needs. It is not only resulting in salinity but also contamination of aquifers with heavy traces of fluoride and arsenic. Climate change is also expected to have extreme effects on the glaciers which contribute over 70% of our water resources and may reduce the water availability by 30% to 40%. Furthermore, our productivity per unit of water and land is one of the lowest in the world. In USA and Australia per capita storage is 6,150 cubic meters and 5,000 cubic meters, respectively, whereas Pakistan’s storage capacity is only 132 cubic meters per person.



India diverting water flowing to Pakistan

Mercifully for us, all has not been lost to the fire. In addition to the Planning Commission’s Vision 2025, which places utmost priority on the development of water resources and the management of current resources to maximize water usage and yield-volume, the Water and Power Development Authority also has a short-term plan titled Water Vision 2025. The Vision can be found on their website at:

http://www.wapda.gov.pk/pdf/Development Portfolio.pdf

Constrained by time, I am unable to reproduce notable excerpts from the Vision into my post at present and, therefore, highly recommend a thorough perusal of the abovementioned document.

The Water Policy of the incumbent government, which is part and parcel of the Planning Commission's Vision 2025, can be found here:

http://www.pc.gov.pk/mtdf/27-Water Sector/27-Water Sector.pdf

The foregoing serves to show, or at least should serve to show, that the future of Pakistan may not be all as grim as it appears to be. As should be clear, a delay in the construction of Bhasha dam will not fatal to the development of Pakistan.

Reactions: Like Like:
1


----------



## Kompromat

*Bhasha Dam delayed till 2037

Munawar HasanWednesday, July 09, 20


LAHORE: The commissioning of multi-purpose Diamer Bhasha Dam on River Indus has been postponed by another about 17 years as this mega project, having strategic importance, is now expected to be completed in the year 2037 instead of 2020, literally converting the water crisis into an existential threat to the country.
*
 
According to documents available with The News, the Dasu Hydropower Project is being given preference to the Diamer Bhasha Dam, ignoring imminent threat of water shortage and floods.

A Wapda spokesman said Wapda was vigorously working on the project. This change in time frame has been termed as a strategic blunder being committed by the departments concerned which will leave the country in a famine-like situation due to shortage of water. On the other hand, the country will be a target of catastrophic floods.

Having failed to make any headways in arranging finances for the mega Bhasha Dam project, sources said the authorities concerned had decided to put its construction on the backburner.Resultantly, a policy shift has been made to give preference to hydel generation to water storage and flood mitigation with initiating work on the Dasu Hydropower Project. Putting aside the previous plan to first construct the Diamer Bhasha Dam, the prime minister laid the foundation stone at the ground-breaking ceremony of Dasu Hydropower Project a couple of weeks back.

The construction of Dasu Hydropower Project has automatically delayed the construction of Diamer Bhasha Dam upstream on River Indus, sources said, adding the estimate about river flows, sediment volume, power generation and flood size had been made for the Dasu Hydropower Project while taking into consideration the scenario without the Bhasha Dam in the upstream.

The expected commissioning date of the Bhasha Dam has been mentioned on page 7-48 of the Environmental & Social Assessment Report of Dasu Hydropower Project (reviewed draft-March 2014) as the year 2037. It is stated that before completion of Bhasha Dam, the Dasu Hydropower Project in the downstream will cater to the needs of power base load while after commissioning of the dam, it will work as a peaking facility in view of the guaranteed flows of the Bhasha Dam.

Wapda seems to be tightlipped on the important aspect of water sector projects. Its spokesman did not accept or deny the content of the report about deferment of the Bhasha Dam. After three days of deliberations, its spokesman said, “Wapda will not comment on news about delay in the construction of Bhasha Dam.” He insisted that work on the Bhasha Dam was going on vigorously.

The building of Bhasha Dam is being deferred at a time when Pakistan enters into acute level of ‘physical water scarcity’. The per capita water availability per year in Pakistan, which is located in an arid climate zone, is presently estimated at 1007 cubic metre which will further reduce to 999 cubic metre with the advent of 2015. In the year 2037, when the Bhasha Dam is expected to be commissioned, water availability will touch rock bottom of 711 cubic metres per capita, which is below than the shortage of water prevailing in African countries.

The population of Pakistan will be around 262 million against present population of 185 million. Will we be able to feed this population with scarce water resources?

As far as flood mitigation impact is concerned, the Bhasha Dam provides an excellent solution. According to Wapda’s own assessment, had the Diamer Bhasha Dam been constructed before 2010, it could have saved the flood devastation amounting to $10 billion.

Increase in water storage capacity is also vital due to the fact that Tarbela and Mangla Dams are being silted up. It is estimated that by 2025, the Tarbela Dam will be silted about half the original capacity, slashing its water shortage capacity significantly. In this scenario, deferring or slowing down Bhasha will have detrimental consequences on water availability in the coming years. Seasonal water storage is number one benefit of Bhasha which Dasu cannot provide.

One of the major reasons in deferment of Bhasha Dam is lack of funds. Wapda, while ignoring all the facts about the looming water crisis and threat of floods, readily opted to build Dasu project as the World Bank showed willingness in provision of finances for it.

Even if the finances are arranged for the Bhasha Dam, sources claimed that Wapda has not the capacity of simultaneously working on two mega projects. One project has to be delayed for making way for the construction of another, a senior official said.

Last but not the least, the construction of Dasu Hydropower Project ahead of Bhasha Dam will further complicate problems associated with the gigantic logistic issues involving upgradation of Karakoram Highway (KKH). Leave alone requirement of KKH expansion and construction of numerous bridges over a stretch of hundreds of kilometers, the lake of Dasu Hydropower will submerge about 50-km-long stretch of KKH, further delaying the work on Bhasha Dam in the upstream.

Just for a reference, the Attaabad Lake, which was formed further upstream as a result of massive landsliding in the year 2010, submerged about 20 km stretch of KKH. A fraction of this part of the affected highway is yet to be reconstructed and all the passengers and even vehicles are being ferried on boats from there onwards.

Commenting on the developing scenario, an expert said, instead of building the Diamer Bhasha Dam on war footing basis, the decision of going ahead with construction of Dasu Hydropower Project is not a wise approach given the fact that it will not address the two biggest problems i.e. water shortage and flood mitigation.

“By promoting the construction of Dasu over Bhasha, we accept substantial loss of energy every year and water shortage while completely ignoring the flood mitigation benefits,” he observed.

The Bhasha reservoir will have the capacity to perform excellent sediment-retention function for a long period of 35 to 40 years. At Tarbela, sediment delta is getting closer to its power intakes and posing threat to its functioning.

Retention of sediment in the Bhasha reservoir will provide relief to Tarbela and Dasu project as well. The Diamer Bhasha Dam would increase the life of Tarbela Dam by 35 years due to retention of sediment while power generation at all power projects downstream will generate additional power due to sustained flows of water.

Dasu, being a run-of-river hydropower project with a small reservoir capacity to cater for power peaking needs, will face severe problems of silting. If it is constructed before Bhasha, flushing of sediments deposited in its reservoir will be required from early years of its operation. Low level flushing tunnels have been provided for this purpose. However, experts said, a successful flushing can only be done with a large discharge of water at low reservoir level. This implies that during flushing, which will extend for about six weeks in summer every year, the power house will have to be shut down.

Therefore, production of hydel power will be denied when it is most needed. As per official estimate, about 20 to 30 percent reduction in power generation will have to be borne in power generation due to flushing of sediments. For a detailed Wapda version, these points were also emailed to the director public relations at his official address on July 1, 2014, which he acknowledged on the same day and promised to give his organisation’s version.

He later said on the phone that officials concerned were not available so he would get their comments tomorrow. Next day, he called to say that he had got the comments on the points but he would share them after getting advice from the chairman of Wapda, who was, according to him, in Islamabad.

The next day on July 03, 2014, the director public relations again phoned and said that there would be a meeting on the Bhasha Dam next week and it would be better not to publish this story. Finally, he said Wapda will not comment on the story.“But you can mention it in your story that Wapda did not comment on this news,” he concluded.

Bhasha Dam delayed till 2037 - thenews.com.pk



waheed gul said:


> __ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=592092664241617
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ایک نہایت سنسنی خیز رپورٹ ، اسوقت تمام پاکستان آنکھیں بند کیے سویا ہوا ہے کسی کو کوئی فکر نہیں ہے ۔ کالاباغ ڈیم تو خیر سے بنایا ہی نہیں گیا اور اوپر سے بھاشا ڈیم پہ بھی کام روک دیا گیا ہے ۔ کل کو جب موٹر پمپوں سے پانی کی بجائے ریت نکلے گی پھر ہوش آئے گا کیونکہ پاکستانی کا زیر زمین پانی کا ذخیرہ بھی ختم ہورہا ہے ۔



Do you have the link of this video?

Reactions: Like Like:
1


----------



## Hyde

I don't see the current map of Pakistan if we did not build dam anytime soon.

Building dams and especially Bhasha Dam should be our top priority, if PML-N is seriously considering to postpone for another 17 years, it should be considered a treason and they should be hanged to set an example for others. Be loyal to your nation, fulfil what you need or get lost, don't make it worse.


----------



## Indischer

It has long been predicted that this century will see wars fought for water rather than for land. I fear that we might have as much cause to fight over water as we already have to fight over land.


----------



## Psycho Pakistani

Aether said:


> I don't see the current map of Pakistan if we did not build dam anytime soon.
> 
> Building dams and especially Bhasha Dam should be our top priority, if PML-N is seriously considering to postpone for another 17 years, it should be considered a treason and they should be hanged to set an example for others. Be loyal to your nation, fulfil what you need or get lost, don't make it worse.



Pakistan is here to stay. dam or no dam not a big deal for pakistan's existence. Water scarcity can at best result in droughts and famines in future but if this is bound to happen then it will happen. Pakistan will not be the first country in the history that will suffer from droughts and water scarcity, may be few millions of paksitanis will die as a result of famines and some will migrate at best. This will be like natural selection and only fittest will survive in pakistan.


----------



## Kabira

Muhammad Omar said:


> *LAHORE: A Spokesperson of Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), while clarifying a news item titled ‘Basha Dam delayed till 2037’ published in The News (July 09), has strongly refuted the perception that the initiation of construction work on Dasu Hydropower Project will put the construction of Diamer Basha Dam Project at the backburner. He said that both projects are of vital importance in their own right and assuming them to be mutually exclusive is not correct.
> *
> 
> 
> Refuting the Correspondent’s assertion of Basha Dam being delayed till 2037 based on environmental and social assessment study, the Spokesperson said that said study is about sediment management wherein it has been concluded that there would be no adverse impact of the sediments on Dasu Hydropower Project even if Diamer Basha is not constructed till 2037. The Spokesman clarified that it should not be taken to mean that the Dam will be delayed by 17 years, adding that the environmental and social assessment study should have been read in correct perspective.
> 
> 
> 
> The Spokesperson clarified that keeping in view the multipurpose nature of Diamer Basha Dam Project; the government considers it a priority project. He said that the government’s seriousness for Diamer Basha Dam can be gauged from the fact that it allocated Rs17 billion in PSDPfor the Project during fiscal year 2013-14 and the same amount was released by January 2014.
> 
> 
> 
> The government, he said, also released an additional grant of Rs. 10 billion for the project in June 2014. He further said that the government has also earmarked Rs. 15 billion in the budget for FY 2014-15 to complete the land acquisition and resettlement-related infrastructure development.
> 
> 
> 
> The Spokesman, while referring to the Prime Minister’s statements, said that the Prime Minister had repeatedly said that his government is committed to construction of Diamer Basha Dam and Dasu Hydropower Project simultaneously to meet water and electricity requirements of the country. The government is not only in contact with friendly countries and International Financial Institutions (IFIs) but also exploring various innovative options for arrangement of funds for construction of Diamer Basha Dam, he added. He further said that a high-level meeting held under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on July 08 also discussed the different options regarding financial arrangements for Diamer Basha Dam.
> 
> 
> 
> He said that the Prime Minister is on record as having stated that the government would build Diamer Basha Dam out of its own resources if no foreign funding for the project was forthcoming. Following the Prime Minister’s categorical statement on Diamer Basha Dam being a priority project, all kinds of speculation and perception regarding alleged precedence of Dasu Hydropower Project on Diamer Basha Dam should come to an end, he stressed.
> 
> 
> 
> Justifying the rationale for construction of Dasu Hydropower Project, the Spokesperson said that the country has been facing acute electricity shortages in the country. He said that given the projected power and water needs, the government has decided to construct a number of hydropower projects and water reservoirs and Dasu Hydropower Project is one of them.
> 
> 
> 
> Dispelling perceptions created by ‘some experts’ regarding Dasu HPP, the Spokesperson said that the stage-1 of the Project will generate 2160 MW of low cost hydel electricity. He clarified that the plant factor of stage-1 is 65%, which is the highest among existing hydropower projects in the country, refuting the argument about Dasu HPP being peaking plant which has a plant factor of around 20-25%.
> 
> 
> 
> The Spokesperson said that WAPDA carried out extensive studies regarding sediment management and reservoir operations with the help of mathematical and physical models. He made it clear that no flushing would be required during first 15 years of Dasu HPP’s operation.
> 
> 
> 
> Munawar Hasan adds: The delay in completion of Diamer Bhasha Dam is not a perception of an individual but a notion clearly mentioned in the official report of Wapda. It is explicitly written in the report under the sub-heading of ‘7.8.9. Impact of Daily Reservoir Operations during Peak Production’. It states: “After commissioning of the Diamer-Basha project (expected in 2037) DHP will depend on the guaranteed water releases from the Basha reservoir. During this stage it has been recommended to operate the Dasu plant as a peaking facility during 4 - 6 hours per day to cover the peak demand for electricity in the country. There will be a daily storage-release cycle during the winter low-flow period, with strong fluctuating water levels”.
> 
> 
> 
> The power generation scenario being discussed in above-mentioned paragraph taken from official report has nothing to do with the sediment management as wrongly described by the spokesman of Wapda. This part of the report is about inflow pattern and subsequent power generation scenarios.
> 
> 
> 
> Unfortunately, Wapda spokesman still has no time-frame about the completion of this highly important water sector project, commissioning of which has become a matter of survival for all of us. He does not bother to given any date about commissioning of this project despite the fact that the foundation stone laying ceremony at dam site has been organized at least at two occasions. If project is to complete before 2037, it must be announced to give some relief to masses.
> 
> 
> 
> As far as present government’s resolve to give priority to Bhasha Dam and details of funding for early construction of the project is concerned, it is pity that the cost of this mega project has been doubled since first groundbreaking made in 2006 by the then President Pervez Musharraf. And government is still taking steps for arranging funds for the project. The ministry of Finance is reportedly planning to organize a function in USA in October, 2014 in this regards.
> 
> 
> 
> In this backdrop, one can imagine that the project is virtually off track as physical work is yet to be launched at dam site. I will not mention gigantic issues relating to expansion and upgradation of Karakoram High and land acquisition that hinders progress in this regard but will like to add that Wapda is very much part of the problem in interrupting KKH expansion by floating its own proposal to resolve logistic issues being an executing agency.
> 
> 
> 
> About justification given in rationale for construction of Dasu Hydropower Project, I will say only that mega dam like Bhasha provides cheap and abundant electricity, supplies water round-the-year for irrigation and other purposes and a tool to mitigate floods. Conversely, a hydropower project like Dasu can only be helpful in generation of electricity.
> 
> 
> 
> The experienced experts who had worked with the Wapda on several key positions has given input in story on delay in commissioning of Bhasha Dam till 2037 on the condition of anonymity. They are of the firm believe that inordinate delay in construction of Bhasha Dam is a recipe of disaster. In view above mentioned facts, The News stands by its story.



Fucking finally, please create new thread for this news.



Aether said:


> I don't see the current map of Pakistan if we did not build dam anytime soon.
> 
> Building dams and especially Bhasha Dam should be our top priority, if PML-N is seriously considering to postpone for another 17 years, it should be considered a treason and they should be hanged to set an example for others. Be loyal to your nation, fulfil what you need or get lost, don't make it worse.



What about Kalabagh dam? Its not considered treason by PPP especially who have been eating India money to oppose dam? Kalabagh dam is just as important as Bhasha dam. In fact more so because it will rrigate millions of acres of barren land. Especially in Balochistan, it can literarly change Balochistan like Punjab was changed by British canal colony century ago.


----------



## Kabira

TheFlyingPretzel said:


> A sound prediction on water shortage in the distant future will always remain an exercise of elusiveness and, to some extent, futility for the prime reason that the factors taken into account, when making such a prediction, are not fixed but rather variable. For the purposes of illustration, take the example where the present discontentment with the performance of the government in Gilgit Baltistan rapidly deteriorates to the extent of area-denial by the local populace to the Federal Government and, therefore, all development projects on the construction of dams in the area have to be put on hold indefinitely pending the outcome of an operation by the armed forces. The scenario however unlikely in the immediate future cannot be completely ruled out considering the pace at which political instability goes from manageable to outright apeshit. But because a comprehensive discussion to that effect would be largely academic and, thoroughly conjectural, I shall limit myself to the 3 points which you have enunciated:
> 
> 1)The sedimentation of current reservoirs, particularly Mangla and Tarbela, have been the subject of debate since long before the construction on the reservoirs even began. Although sedimentation is a concern, I would not go so far as to suggest that it will cause a “dire water shortage” in the region. As a matter of fact, the ablative effects of the sediments on the turbines are of a greater concern than the thought of the local population going thirsty. Fortunately, for us, sedimentation is a factor which is manageable. The following were suggested, at the 70th Annual Session Proceedings of the Pakistan Engineering Congress as measures which may be employed to delay the onset of sedimentation
> 
> 
> 2) A major threat to Pakistan’s water security is the construction of Indian dams which quell the flow of the Indus, the Jhelum and the Chenab. It just happens to be so, by design, or perhaps just sheer bad luck, that all three of the rivers to the use of which Pakistan has almost-exclusive rights under the IWT flow through India before entering into Pakistan.
> 
> This map should put things into perspective:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> As is evident from the map, 4 of the 6 rivers which form the gist of the entire IWT originate in India; namely the Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi and the Beas. The Indus and the Sutlej are the only two exceptions, originating instead from Chinese Tibet before flowing into India and the Pakistan. As you can see, if India were to abrogate the IWT today, Pakistan would be the only adverse affectee, as it would have absolute control over all the water flowing into Pakistan. True to their mettle India has pondered the devastating effect which any action to this effect would have on Pakistan and has spawned many a voice that has called for the treaty to abrogated. One such voice is that of Raghu Yadav (whom I don’t take very seriously):
> 
> 
> 
> The Tr
> 
> There have been plans in the past, before the Baghliar and the Kishanganga, the design and location of which have been of significant concern to successive Pakistani governments. If India were to abrogate the treaty today, Dr. Nayyar Adam sheds light on just two immediate projects which India would proceed to undertake:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> For further insight into the matter please go through this brilliant paper by Dr. Shaheen Akhtar on the challenges faced by the IWT:
> 
> While on this point, it may also be appropriate to point out that one of the major reasons why Pakistan simply refuses to back away from claiming absolute title to the occupied territory of Kashmir is this, water security. At present none of the rivers are in our exclusive control, although as a nation our future depends on them - a very concerning position indeed.
> 
> 
> 3) Perhaps the single greatest threat to Pakistan’s water security is the prolific increase in population, and thus demand, which Pakistan has seen since the partition. The increase in population has significantly strained our current water resources and has catapulted the issue to the top of both the “Will-most-certainly-destroy-Pakistan” list and, thankfully, the incumbent government’s “Fix-this-now” list.
> 
> A rough idea of the magnitude of this concern can be taken from this article:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Federal Minster for Planning has also been kind enough to grace us with these very concerning remarks too:
> 
> 
> 
> India
> 
> Mercifully for us, all has not been lost to the fire. In addition to the Planning Commission’s Vision 2025, which places utmost priority on the development of water resources and the management of current resources to maximize water usage and yield-volume, the Water and Power Development Authority also has a short-term plan titled Water Vision 2025. The Vision can be found on their website at:
> 
> h
> 
> Constrained by time, I am unable to reproduce notable excerpts from the Vision into my post at present and, therefore, highly recommend a thorough perusal of the abovementioned document.
> 
> The Water Policy of the incumbent government, which is part and parcel of the Planning Commission's Vision 2025, can be found here:
> 
> W
> 
> The foregoing serves to show, or at least should serve to show, that the future of Pakistan may not be all as grim as it appears to be. As should be clear, a delay in the construction of Bhasha dam will not fatal to the development of Pakistan.



But dams also bring very very cheap electricity. Some of Bhasha dam advantages

Generate 4500mw cheap bijli which will save $3 billion every year.
7 MAF water storage capacity, which is very important for agrriculture
Dasu dam Phase-II 2160mw can only be completed if Bhasha dam is there, if not then Dasu will only generate 2160mw
Extend life of Tarbela dam to 2085 from 2060 and another 85MW will be added to Tarbela total generation


Also by 2037 i expect gigantic Katzarah dam 15.000MW should be undercontruction. Which will store huge amount of 35MAF (5-6 times more then Bhasha) water, and i also read somewhere after that Indus Water treaty will become absolute. Katzara dam will ensure food security for next 1000 years. It will prevent super floods permanently, since its storage capacity is absolutly huge.

This dam used to be in Wapda 2025 vision but not anymore, maybe after 2025 when other dams are completed. Here is article on Katzarah dam.

*ISLAMABAD, Aug 14: Warning that the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 between India and Pakistan would soon become redundant because of silting of dams, a veteran water expert has advised the government to immediately start working on development of the 35 million acre feet (MAF) Katzarah dam to prolong operational life of reservoirs and protect the country’s agriculture and industry.*

“The unique Katzarah dam is the only proposed storage that will provide food security, conserve 35MAF of water every year, generate 15,000MW of electricity, prevent silting of existing reservoirs, replenish 6.6 MAF of storage capacity lost to silting and end loadshedding and super floods,” said Engineer Fatehullah Khan Gundapur who headed the Indus River System Authority in the early 1990s.

Talking to Dawn, he said the proposed dam could increase the life of Diamer-Bhasha dam, irrigating the entire Kachhi (Sibi) plain of Balochistan from the Chashma barrage by gravity flow.

Also, the project along with Guroh Dop and Diamer-Bhasha dam could lead to water management of 45MAF of wasteful, incompatible and obsolete canal irrigation system.

“I strongly urge the government to give top priority to the Katzarah dam and complete it in nine to 10 years,” he said.

He deplored that Wapda had failed to meet its commitment of completing its detailed feasibility study by Sept 2005 it had made with two high-powered consensus committees, a parliamentary committee led by former Senator Nisar Memon and technical committee led by A.N.G. Abbasi.

Mr Gundapur who is over 92 years of age and has authored two books said the proposed dam will serve as replacement dam for the Indus Waters Treaty as the country had already lost 6.6 MAF of replacement storage created in Tarbela and Mangla reservoirs under the treaty.

“This means the life of the treaty ends with the silting of reservoir,” he said and added it required perennial replenishment by new storage for the revival of the treaty.

Moreover, the Katzarah dam will regulate the highly erratic flow of the Indus that varied between the minimum of 9,000 cusecs to the maximum of 1,200,000 cusecs.

“Katzarah is a multipurpose dam, a carryover dam, development dam and inter-seasonal dam, but it was not understandable why the authorities are showing complacency”.

He said the proposed storage was unique in the sense that it had probably the narrowest dam site in the world with only 300 feet at the bed level compared with Kalabagh dam’s two miles long and Tarbela dam’s 8,000 feet long bed level.He said the project would function as watershed management dam by stopping silt erosion from the world’s highly erodible soil in the Skardu valley, thus prolonging the lifespan of Bhasha dam from 80 years to 800 years and extend lifespan of Tarbela by 50 years.

It was the tallest dam in the world, six times the storage of Diamer-Bhasha or Kalabagh dam and the third largest dam in the world after Aswan dam in Egypt and Three Gorges Dam in China.

Its 15,000MW of power generation capacity is the second largest in the world after the Three Gorges Dam and has over 1,000 years of life span.

“Instead of investing in 1,000 years, Wapda people are investing in 50 and 80 years despite the fact that Katzarah has storage capacity of all the conceivable dams in Pakistan. It has the cheapest dam per million acre feet of storage, per megawatt of hydropower, per year of service value and longest lifespan,” he said.

Mr Gundapur said the proposed dam would also help implement para 2, 4, 6, and 14 (e) of the 1991 Water Accord by storing more water and end bitter provincial water dispute, resulting in non-implementation of the accord in full even after 20 years.

He deplored that India had built 32 multipurpose dams in 35 years in occupied Kashmir to stop Pakistan’s waters.


----------



## Bilal.

@save_ghenda, skardu/katzara dam is already shelved. Most likely perminently:

15,000MW dam project shelved by Wapda - Pakistan - DAWN.COM



save_ghenda said:


> Fucking finally, please create new thread for this news.



From the same report:

"Munawar Hasan adds: The delay in completion of Diamer Bhasha Dam is not a perception of an individual but a notion clearly mentioned in the official report of Wapda. It is explicitly written in the report under the sub-heading of ‘7.8.9. Impact of Daily Reservoir Operations during Peak Production’. It states: “After commissioning of the Diamer-Basha project (expected in 2037) DHP will depend on the guaranteed water releases from the Basha reservoir. During this stage it has been recommended to operate the Dasu plant as a peaking facility during 4 - 6 hours per day to cover the peak demand for electricity in the country. There will be a daily storage-release cycle during the winter low-flow period, with strong fluctuating water levels”.
"



> What about Kalabagh dam? Its not considered treason by PPP especially who have been eating India money to oppose dam? Kalabagh dam is just as important as Bhasha dam. In fact more so because it will rrigate millions of acres of barren land. Especially in Balochistan, it can literarly change Balochistan like Punjab was changed by British canal colony century ago.



bhasha would have served as a confidence building measure that new dams are good and would have dispelled the propaganda spread by anti kalabagh lobby.


----------



## Kabira

Bilal. said:


> @save_ghenda, skardu/katzara dam is already shelved. Most likely perminently:
> 
> 
> 
> From the same report:
> 
> "Munawar Hasan adds: The delay in completion of Diamer Bhasha Dam is not a perception of an individual but a notion clearly mentioned in the official report of Wapda. It is explicitly written in the report under the sub-heading of ‘7.8.9. Impact of Daily Reservoir Operations during Peak Production’. It states: “After commissioning of the Diamer-Basha project (expected in 2037) DHP will depend on the guaranteed water releases from the Basha reservoir. During this stage it has been recommended to operate the Dasu plant as a peaking facility during 4 - 6 hours per day to cover the peak demand for electricity in the country. There will be a daily storage-release cycle during the winter low-flow period, with strong fluctuating water levels”.
> "
> 
> bhasha would have served as a confidence building measure that new dams are good and would have dispelled the propaganda spread by anti kalabagh lobby.



''the Spokesperson said that said study is about sediment management wherein it has been concluded that there would be no adverse impact of the sediments on Dasu Hydropower Project even if Diamer Basha is not constructed till 2037.''

Its clear what they meant by 2037. Anyway they can't give exact year of completion yet, it all depends on financing. Without it even 2037 seem far fetched. Katzahra was shelved from Wapda 2025 vision. It will be taken seriously after other big dams like Bunji 7100mw, Bhasha 4500mw and Dasu 4360mw are completed.

After these three only big dam site left will be Kalabagh 3600mw if ever build or Katzara dam 15.000mw. Basically this project is for next generation.


----------



## Bilal.

@save_ghenda, sir please see this:

" It states: “After commissioning of the Diamer-Basha project *(expected in 2037)* DHP will depend on the guaranteed water releases from the Basha reservoir"

That's from the official WAPDA report.

As for katzarah they are shelving it because they are calling it notnfeasible due to submergence of important towns and valleys:

"However even an 8 MAF reservoir at this site will totally submerge the entire Skardu and Shigar valleys including the important."

@TheFlyingPretzel, question, can the dams be dredged to recovermthe lost storage capacity?


----------



## tarrar

Govt. & politicians are just too busy doing corruption & are not concerned about the construction of Kala Bagh dam & Bhasha dam & other small dams at all. These dams are very important for Pakistan, if the work is not started then Pakistan will be dry & people will suffer.

So that's why I say don't get emotional & vote for the wrong people because they haunt & harm Pakistan. People who said nora ganja is now a new man & he is the right man were 100% wrong.


----------



## Hyde

save_ghenda said:


> What about Kalabagh dam? Its not considered treason by PPP especially who have been eating India money to oppose dam? Kalabagh dam is just as important as Bhasha dam. In fact more so because it will rrigate millions of acres of barren land. Especially in Balochistan, it can literarly change Balochistan like Punjab was changed by British canal colony century ago.


Well you can call it treason too. But the talk of building Kalabagh dam was high, our nation was only 130-140 million people. Now we are 190 million nation. The needs are further arisen and we need dams more importantly than any other day of life. Bhasha is technically a bigger dam than Kalabagh and it faces little opposition either. So delaying Bhasha for any reason is a prone to killing your own people.

PS: I am also in favour of Kalabagh dam but this thread is not about that. I want every single dam be built in Pakistan as are going to face water and food security if we did not step up today


----------



## Kabira

Aether said:


> Well you can call it treason too. But the talk of building Kalabagh dam was high, our nation was only 130-140 million people. Now we are 190 million nation. The needs are further arisen and we need dams more importantly than any other day of life. Bhasha is technically a bigger dam than Kalabagh and it faces little opposition either. So delaying Bhasha for any reason is a prone to killing your own people.
> 
> PS: I am also in favour of Kalabagh dam but this thread is not about that. I want every single dam be built in Pakistan as are going to face water and food security if we did not step up today



Actually no one is delaying Bhasha dam. But the only reason Bhasha dam is still not fully under construction is because of $$. WB approved loan for Dasu, so Phase-I 2160mw will be completed by 2019. WB is ready to finance Kalabadgh dam. But so far no one have come out for Bhasha dam.

Lets see this year USAID conference, what it brings.


----------



## Hyde

save_ghenda said:


> Actually no one is delaying Bhasha dam. But the only reason Bhasha dam is still not fully under construction is because of $$. WB approved loan for Dasu, so Phase-I 2160mw will be completed by 2019. WB is ready to finance Kalabadgh dam. But so far no one have come out for Bhasha dam.
> 
> Lets see this year USAID conference, what it brings.


I know but Bhasha needs to be built if not by foreign investment then the government.

We can cut several on going projects of Metro Bus, Roads and infrastructural projects to fund Diamer-Bhasha Dam. It is not that the rest of the mentioned projects are not important but Diamer-Bhasha is the most important project for Pakistan under current circumstances.


----------



## ryzvonusef

Aether said:


> I know but Bhasha needs to be built if not by foreign investment then the government.
> 
> We can cut several on going projects of Metro Bus, Roads and infrastructural projects to fund Diamer-Bhasha Dam. It is not that the rest of the mentioned projects are not important but Diamer-Bhasha is the most important project for Pakistan under current circumstances.



Um, hint, all those infrastructure projects run billions of _rupees_, while the dam costs billions of DOLLARS.

There is simply NO comparison in costs.

No matter how many projects we cut, simply CAN'T reach the goal.

We NEED foreign help... and NO one will give billions of dollars for a dam in a "disputed territory" (Diamer is in GB, which part of the area under the Kashmir dispute)

The only we can make is by solving the Kashmir problem.


----------



## Hyde

ryzvonusef said:


> Um, hint, all those infrastructure projects run billions of _rupees_, while the dam costs billions of DOLLARS.
> 
> There is simply NO comparison in costs.
> 
> No matter how many projects we cut, simply CAN'T reach the goal.
> 
> We NEED foreign help... and NO one will give billions of dollars for a dam in a "disputed territory" (Diamer is in GB, which part of the area under the Kashmir dispute)
> 
> The only we can make is by solving the Kashmir problem.


Sir in just last few years The federal budget raised from nearly 20 billion dollars to 43 billion dollars. The budget of provincial government follows... We might be having a budget of 100 billion dollars after next 5-8 years almost double of what we have right now.

Who says that the amount is not huge otherwise it would never be an issue but you are forgetting the fact that the dam is not going to be build within an year. It will easily be split into at least 8-10 years of time. 14 billion dollars sounds a massive amount but when you divided it to 10 years its only 1.4 billion dollars... and if we just ignore one out of many projects we keep making for publicity purposes... such as Ring Road, Metro Bus, transferring 100 billion rupees from development budget into this or clearing off 500 billion rupees for circular debt in a single year. This amount of about 14 billion dollars does not sound much.


----------



## ryzvonusef

Aether said:


> Sir in just last few years The federal budget raised from nearly 20 billion dollars to 43 billion dollars. The budget of provincial government follows... We might be having a budget of 100 billion dollars after next 5-8 years almost double of what we have right now.
> 
> Who says that the amount is not huge otherwise it would never be an issue but you are forgetting the fact that the dam is not going to be build within an year. It will easily be split into at least 8-10 years of time. 14 billion dollars sounds a massive amount but when you divided it to 10 years its only 1.4 billion dollars... and if we just ignore one out of many projects we keep making for publicity purposes... such as Ring Road, Metro Bus, transferring 100 billion rupees from development budget into this or clearing off 500 billion rupees for circular debt in a single year. This amount of about 14 billion dollars does not sound much.



Dear, if we could "spare" 1.4 billion DOLLARS a year, we wouldn't be so overjoyed at getting $1.5 bn from saudia!

And where would we spare it from? You consider the "size" of our budget, but our expenses far outweigh our income, we have no capacity to spare!

----

And hilariously enough, the projects you consider vanity, like Ring Road and Metro Bus, are the very places we can save from! You may not realise it, but given that all the material is local, and labour is cheap, these projects are VERY cheap, as compared to international market.

But that's not the saving I'm talking about. One of the MAJOR expense we face is fuel, which is NOT locally made, unlike sand, cement, brick or steel. 

Can you imagine the savings of foreign exchequer if people STOP using their cars and bikes and use public transport? All that petrol and cng can be saved, we can reduce out petrol imports and cng can be used to run power plants.

Similarly, if projects like Ring Road are made, these reduce travel time and distance , which means journeys are done quicker, which in turn means less fuel is used. Again, less petrol/cng used can be turned into our advantage. 

----

(Big) Dams are never built with savings, by the time you save enough money, the projects has already increased in expense multiple times.

You make them with loan, which allows you get a one bulk installment immediately, which you can use to fix rates, and build immediately.

----

Personally, I'm not in favour of big dams anyway, sadly the Ayub era strategy is no longer viable in current scenario, and is frankly outdated and irrelevant.

We should make many SMALLER dams, dams which we CAN afford to make with our savings.

I've heard PTi is doing something similar. (their project is very many, very small, hydel projects, distributed all over KPK) Let's see how it pans out.

Reactions: Like Like:
1


----------



## Jazzbot

We have about 40 billion for Islo metro, 15 billion for Karachi metro, 35 billion for Multan & Faisalabad metro, 260 billion for Lahore - Karachi motorway, 5 billion for laptops, 100 billion for youth loan. (total 455 billions)

But we don't have any money for Bhasha dam, which is not needed right now, its going to be needed in 8 long years.



Aeronaut said:


> Do you have the link of this video?




Here sir:



Code:


https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=592092664241617


----------



## Hyde

ryzvonusef said:


> Dear, if we could "spare" 1.4 billion DOLLARS a year, we wouldn't be so overjoyed at getting $1.5 bn from saudia!
> 
> And where would we spare it from? You consider the "size" of our budget, but our expenses far outweigh our income, we have no capacity to spare!
> 
> ----
> 
> And hilariously enough, the projects you consider vanity, like Ring Road and Metro Bus, are the very places we can save from! You may not realise it, but given that all the material is local, and labour is cheap, these projects are VERY cheap, as compared to international market.
> 
> But that's not the saving I'm talking about. One of the MAJOR expense we face is fuel, which is NOT locally made, unlike sand, cement, brick or steel.
> 
> Can you imagine the savings of foreign exchequer if people STOP using their cars and bikes and use public transport? All that petrol and cng can be saved, we can reduce out petrol imports and cng can be used to run power plants.
> 
> Similarly, if projects like Ring Road are made, these reduce travel time and distance , which means journeys are done quicker, which in turn means less fuel is used. Again, less petrol/cng used can be turned into our advantage.
> 
> ----
> 
> (Big) Dams are never built with savings, by the time you save enough money, the projects has already increased in expense multiple times.
> 
> You make them with loan, which allows you get a one bulk installment immediately, which you can use to fix rates, and build immediately.
> 
> ----
> 
> Personally, I'm not in favour of big dams anyway, sadly the Ayub era strategy is no longer viable in current scenario, and is frankly outdated and irrelevant.
> 
> We should make many SMALLER dams, dams which we CAN afford to make with our savings.
> 
> I've heard PTi is doing something similar. (their project is very many, very small, hydel projects, distributed all over KPK) Let's see how it pans out.


You didn't understand the point Sir

I am fully aware of the benefits of building roads and infrastructural projects. It is more about priorities. By making Ring Road for 30 billion rupees for example, we might be saving probably 1 billion rupees from fuel imports each year. That translates to 30 billion rupees of savings after 30 year.

By investing in dams we might be saving even more in fuel imports by generating cheaper electricity by water and the irrigation of land and water storage is a big bonus on top of that. Like @Jazzbot said if we can spare



> We have about 40 billion for Islo metro, 15 billion for Karachi metro, 35 billion for Multan & Faisalabad metro, 260 billion for Lahore - Karachi motorway, 5 billion for laptops, 100 billion for youth loan. (total 455 billions)


We should also spare money for Diamer-Bhasha dam if not funded by foreign investors. Our PSDP is about 1.3 trillion rupees for 2014 if my memory is correct. We must allocate at least 10% of the PSDP for Hydropower projects in the country for the next 10 years.

You are against larger dams as you mentioned so there is no point taking this discussion further. The proposed projects of PTI are way too smaller, they are also very important but they are not enough to fulfil the demand of the 190 million people. The reservoirs/dams the K-P government and the Punjab government is planning to build is good enough to fulfil the demand of one town, district or a city but not good enough for thousands of of cities across Pakistan, for that you need mother of Dams that is Diamer-Bhasha, Munda, Yulbu and Kalabagh.



ryzvonusef said:


> But that's not the saving I'm talking about. One of the MAJOR expense we face is fuel, which is NOT locally made, unlike sand, cement, brick or steel.


Use the same material and the labour/manpower, 80% of your dam is ready.

Reactions: Like Like:
1


----------



## TheFlyingPretzel

Bilal. said:


> @
> 
> @[USER=145365]TheFlyingPretzel, question, can the dams be dredged to recovermthe lost storage capacity?[/USER]




Most certainly.


----------



## ryzvonusef

^^ Brother, I don't disagree that dams are awesome, merely that we simply CANNOT make BIG dams from our saving, no matter how much we save!

For example, they will have to purchase loads of land, houses etc, because entire villages will be drowned by the dam. That's a heavy expense BEFORE even one brick has been laid!

And then we come to technical expertise, machinery etc etc...

----

If we want to make big dam, we MUST borrow!

WB will gladly give funds for Kalabagh or Dasu dam, because those are firmly in Pakistani territory, but Bhasha is in GB, which is part of kashmir dispute.

Do you see the problem?

We cannot make Kalabagh because of internal issues, so only Dasu is left, which the government will make.

If we want to make Kalabagh and Diamer, we MUST settle political issues internally and externally.


----------



## Secur

Bilal. said:


> If the work on bhasha dam and other water storage projects is not started immediately, this nation will suffer devastating consequences by 2030-2035 of extreme water and food shortage.



Does this nation know this? If not , then I believe that its in the best interests of this nation to do exactly that : suffer . Let them know and understand the consequences of indifference , apathy and someone else's problem firmly embedded in the psyche .


----------



## Educated Jatt

Cast your vote those who give priority to KALA BAAG DAM,Bhashsa Dam and some others else.


----------



## indiatester

Secur said:


> Does this nation know this? If not , then I believe that its in the best interests of this nation to do exactly that : suffer . Let them know and understand the consequences of indifference , apathy and someone else's problem firmly embedded in the psyche .



If there are political problems building big dams, why are resources not invested into building smaller dams? What are expert recommendations on the available options?


----------



## maverick1977

So NS didnt want bhasha dam to be completed till 2037. How come SS is jumping all over it as Imran khan was working aggressively on it... 

are PMLN indian agent ??


----------

