15,000MW dam project shelved by Wapda

[jha]

In a letter to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Wapda said: “The option of Skardu/Katzarah dam project for further planning has been dropped from Wapda’s 2025 Vision programme.”

While confirming that the Katzarah dam site, unanimously proposed by inter-provincial and parliamentary commissions, has the capacity to store 27 million acre feet of water, the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has reiterated its opposition to the project which can produce more than 15,000MW of electricity.

In a letter to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Wapda said: “The option of Skardu/Katzarah dam project for further planning has been dropped from Wapda’s 2025 Vision programme.”

The prime minister had sought a report from the ministry of water and power after a Dawn report last month pointed out that Wapda was backtracking from the commitment it had made to the two commissions to complete the dam’s feasibility study by 2006.

Wapda decided to shelve the project on the basis of over a dozen negative impacts which it said made the multi-purpose dam site unfeasible in the present circumstances.

Wapda said the project site had been identified in 1960 but did not receive much attention because of access problem. At that time road to Skardu was single lane and could not be used by anything except jeeps and pack animals and used to remain closed for 6-7 months a year.

It said the pre-feasibility level studies for the project were carried out by Wapda during 2007 under its Vision 2025 confirming a potential to impound the average annual inflow of Indus at 27 MAF.

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

Wapda said a fertile and productive land under agriculture with fruit orchards of about 13,363.5 hectares falling in the reservoir area will come under water and any alternate land to be provided to land owners/farmers of the displaced population was not available. Also, the whole city of Skardu with its suburbs spread over about 25 square kilometres with a population of 130,000 and about 20,000 houses; 7,000 shops, hospitals, schools, graveyard, mosques, etc., will be submerged.

A total population of 223,847 falling in the reservoir area will be displaced. From defence point of view, the strategic control of the Siachen and Kargil sectors and of the Line of Control by Pakistan Army and PAF from Skardu will be lost because the operational activities of the two institutions will be badly affected while on the other hand, a huge infrastructure developed in Skardu and Gamba costing billions of rupees will also be submerged.

Moreover, 12,000 feet runway, along with all civil engineering infrastructure controlled by the Civil Aviation Authority will come under water while a cadet college recently established with Rs300 million to impart quality education to students of Northern Areas will be submerged.

Also, the Shangrila Motel considered as a beautiful cultural and recreational resort will be submerged besides 40 kilometres of metalled road from Skardu to Shigar on the left side of Shigar river. Access to the villages outside the reservoir periphery will be disconnected while a possibility to provide an alternate access does not exist.

A new road will be constructed above the reservoir level from dam to Khaplu & to Shigar valley. The water and power system consisting of several small hydropower stations and transmission lines will come under water.

Besides, the Skardu/Katzarah dam will also have a negative effect on the Satpara dam which is currently under construction,
In Shigar area and Skardu, a number of archaeological sites consisting of buildings, mosques, graveyards, forts etc. which are more than a thousand years old, will come under water, which will be a serious cultural hazard. The Balti population which has a rich culture developed through centuries will lose its identity.

In a recent interview, former chairman of Indus River System Authority (IRSA) Eng Fatehullah Khan Gundapur had termed the proposed dam the only way to resolve the current water and power crisis in the country. A bipartisan parliamentary committee led by former Senator Nisar Memon and a technical committee led by A.N.G Abbasi – both having experts and parliamentarians from all provinces – had unanimously called for construction of the Katzarah dam as the top-most priority in 2005 to end political controversies over mega dams.

15,000MW dam project shelved by Wapda | Newspaper | DAWN.COM

 

[SHAMK9]

im 100% sure they just didnt end it right there, they will bring it up again in 2 or 3 years.

 

[Archie]

I think it has to be the funding which is causing the problem , all other reasons are secondary

For one , Generating 15000 MW from a Single DAM will require upwards of 15 Billion USD investment , and a huge area would need to be submerged , which could affect livelihood of Hundreds of Thousands of People , hence there is also a chance of public protest

Even in India , we are currently working on Hydroelectric Power Projects amounting to some 30000 MW , but these comprise about 22 small DAMs generating anywhere between 300 MW to 3500 MW , if we were to build a Single DAM of 15000 MW capacity , then u will see widespread protests in India , coz every social Jobless activist from Aruna Roy to Arundati Roy , from Kiran Bedi to Kejriwal and Anna Hazare would come forward to protest

As u guys know that there have been protests in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal regarding setting up of 8000-10000 MW Nuclear power-plants
Simply becoz people are afraid thanks to Fukushima disaster in Japan , and also the fact that Previously India used to setup 550-700 MW nuclear plants and movement to 10000 MW can scare some illiterate vilagers

 

[bc040400065]

the biggest problem is the areas affected and people not willing to leave their areas and settle some where else, for WAPDA the track records is not so good in this regard so for sure people will not accept this, but if a smaller dam can be fesible at that site with much less affectees and less power generation should be worked out. Wapda needs to forget the 15000MW dam and beter start work of some 1500MW dams and there are plenty of sites and many have had fesibility studies but no further development. Even Tarbela's capacity can be increase with another 900MW power station but so far no work on ground.

 

[Veeru]

Is it due to that its an disputed area????????

 

[Hyde]

Is it due to that its an disputed area????????

its because

1)

Wapda said a fertile and productive land under agriculture with fruit orchards of about 13,363.5 hectares falling in the reservoir area will come under water and any alternate land to be provided to land owners/farmers of the displaced population was not available. Also, the whole city of Skardu with its suburbs spread over about 25 square kilometres with a population of 130,000 and about 20,000 houses; 7,000 shops, hospitals, schools, graveyard, mosques, etc., will be submerged.

A total population of 223,847 falling in the reservoir area will be displaced. From defence point of view, the strategic control of the Siachen and Kargil sectors and of the Line of Control by Pakistan Army and PAF from Skardu will be lost because the operational activities of the two institutions will be badly affected while on the other hand, a huge infrastructure developed in Skardu and Gamba costing billions of rupees will also be submerged.

Moreover, 12,000 feet runway, along with all civil engineering infrastructure controlled by the Civil Aviation Authority will come under water while a cadet college recently established with Rs300 million to impart quality education to students of Northern Areas will be submerged.

2) and it would requires billions of US Dollars...
3) and it would also require technology
4) and it would also require master plan/backup in case of flooding

 

[sandilanaresh]

the biggest problem is the areas affected and people not willing to leave their areas and settle some where else, for WAPDA the track records is not so good in this regard so for sure people will not accept this, but if a smaller dam can be fesible at that site with much less affectees and less power generation should be worked out. Wapda needs to forget the 15000MW dam and beter start work of some 1500MW dams and there are plenty of sites and many have had fesibility studies but no further development. Even Tarbela's capacity can be increase with another 900MW power station but so far no work on ground.

I think this will be the biggest ever power project in Pakistan if completed successfully and if i am correct there is no single power project of 15000 MW in India. Good go ahead aur thodi bijli bach jai to Punjab(India) ko bhi de dena aaj kal din me Amritsar me bahut light ja rahi hai.

 

[jha]

Its useless to build a 15,000 MW plant and submerge this much land..Instead should build smaller ones...

 

[VCheng]

Actually the real reason a 15,000MW hydroelectric project is not needed is that 50,000MW will soon be generated from the endless coal fields in Thar, along with millions of liters of low cost diesel.

 

[Archie]

Actually the real reason a 15,000MW hydroelectric project is not needed is that 50,000MW will soon be generated from the endless coal fields in Thar, along with millions of liters of low cost diesel.

u need atleast 50 Billion USD to invest , if you plan to add 50000 MW of coal fired powerplant , it will also have a gestation period of 10 yrs to setup 50000 MW , add to that another few billions to build refineries to convert low quality Thar coal to low price diesel

 

[VCheng]

u need atleast 50 Billion USD to invest , if you plan to add 50000 MW of coal fired powerplant , it will also have a gestation period of 10 yrs to setup 50000 MW , add to that another few billions to build refineries to convert low quality Thar coal to low price diesel

Please note the smilie at the end of my post above.

 

[longbrained]

Dams are inherently very expensive to build but since they consume no fuel and have a long life the electricity they produce over long term is cheap. But they have a huge initial cost. For example, Basha dam has a generating clean output capacity of 4000 MW if water is available that is in a rainy season. The cost of this dam is estimated at 15 billion dollars which might even be higher once construction starts. A modern natural gas combined cycle power plant with 4000 MW capacity costs 1.5 billion dollars. But it consumes gas as fuel.

The problem with Pakistan is funding. 2025 Wapda vision needs tens of billions of dollars in funding which is not simply available. Maybe Pakistan should sell the Rico Deq copper/gold mine which is estimated to have near to 300 billion dollars in reserves to China and get 150 billion dollars cash for it and spend all that building dams, power plants, roads, hospitals and such so that 2025 Pakistan vision project can start up.

 

[danger007]

15000MW plant makes no sense. Depending on single large power plant will give a big slap in summer. whats the annual rainfall, avg availability of water..,,,

 

[danger007]

15000MW plant makes no sense. Depending on single large power plant will give a big slap in summer. whats the annual rainfall, avg availability of water..,,,

 

[Jango]

Well, submerging the whole of Skardu is no option IMO.

Beter to go ahead with Bhasha and Kalabagh and other dams.