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Dam Construction in Pakistan

i want to gets some design info about bhsaha dam..... i have a preseentation about bhasha dam to present in next week....

you should look at the three gorges dam of china which is the largest dam at the upstream of changjiang the third longest river on this planet to give you aspiration and inspiration on your presentation project. and you will know how great the people who is now building dam in this worldly recognised disputed area.
 
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4,500 MW Bhasha dam cleared by Ecnec By Mubarak Zeb Khan
Friday, 21 Aug, 2009 Federal Minister for Water & Power Raja Pervez Ashraf speaks during a press conference regarding the approval of construction of Bhasha Dam, at Pak Secretariat. Federal Minister for Information & Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira and Chairman WAPDA Shakil Durrani are also seen in the picture.—ONLINE Pakistan
Load shedding temporarily ended: Pepco Load shedding temporarily ended: Pepco ISLAMABAD: The 4,500-megawatt Diamer-Bhasha dam project and about two dozen other infrastructure and social sector schemes worth Rs977 billion were approved on Thursday.

The Rs894.25 billion dam project in the Northern Areas, approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec), will have a foreign funding component of Rs312.94 billion.

Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin chaired the meeting. The Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Qamar Zaman Kaira, and the Minister for Water and Power, Pervez Ashraf, told journalists that the construction of the dam on the Indus, some 400kms from Islamabad, would begin by October next year and be completed in eight to 10 years.

Its payback period will be 30 years. They termed it a lifeline project for the country.

‘This is the biggest project ever approved in the history of Pakistan. We spent 33 years in discussions while the country’s biggest dam’s capacity was declining because of sedimentation,’ Mr Ashraf said.

‘We have begun installing major hydropower projects to overcome the energy crisis.’

He said the 272-metre high concrete dam would have a storage capacity of 6.4 million acre-feet and it would irrigate more than 33 million acres. It would also help reduce sedimentation in Tarbela Dam, the minister said.

In reply to a question, he said the bidding process would be transparent. He said the National Highway Authority would start widening roads for transporting equipment and installation work.

The information minister said people to be affected by the project would be compensated before the start of the work.

He said Rs15 billion had been allocated in the budget for land acquisition and payment of compensation.

Mr Kaira, who also holds the portfolio of Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas, praised people of the region for their cooperation and sacrifices during the process of approval of the project.

‘Not a single voice was raised from the people of the Northern Areas against this project and I assure them that their genuine demands regarding compensation and settlement will be addressed on a priority basis.’

He said preference would be given to local people for employment in the project. The minister said royalty would be paid in accordance with the Constitution. He said work on land acquisition would begin within three months.

In reply to a question, he said generating funds for the project would not pose a problem because international financial institutions had expressed their interest in financing it. He said all stakeholders had been consulted before the project’s approval.

Referring to surveys by seismologists, he said the dam would be 35kms away from a faultline and it would be ‘99.9 per cent safe’.

He said the committee had also approved the Duber Khwar hydropower project, Khan Khawar project and the 16MW Naltar-III and 14MW Naltar-V projects.

The minister for water and power said a committee had been constituted to resolve out of court the issue of net hydel power profit of the NWFP.

He said the country had 185 billion tons of coal reserves and the World Bank had approved funds for their technical study. He said Rs2.525 billion had been allocated for the feasibility study.

The information minister said Ecnec considered 44 projects worth Rs1,200 billion, but approved 24 of them. The remaining 20 projects, estimated to cost Rs223 billion, will be taken up at the next meeting.

He said the provinces had been asked to expedite implementation of projects.

Ecnec also approved a Rs3.5 billion project for poverty reduction through small holders of livestock and diary and a Rs8.1 billion project in the education sector.

It approved setting up of a 300-bed maternal and child health institute in the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto district at a cost of Rs1.2 billion.

The committee approved a Rs6.3 billion land record management and information system for Punjab and asked other provinces computerise their land records.

The minister said HIV/Aids prevention projects were also approved for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Islamabad, Punjab and Sindh.


Tags: Diamer-Bhasha dam,dam,ecnec,mw
 
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Safety of Bhasha Dam may be at high risk
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11

2008
By B. A. MALIK

Courtesy and Thanks: The Nation
The writer is a chief technical advisor World Bank/UNO

Construction of Bhasha Dam will start in September 2009, according to a press statement of the Minister of Water and Power (published on Oct 14). In an earlier report it was claimed that “Pakistan is going to set another record (after Tarbela Dam) in hydropower engineering by building the world’s highest roller compacted concrete Diamer Bhasha Dam” (April 6). The press report, however, was silent on the fact that the world’s highest adam on the Indus River may also be vulnerable to some of the highest risk factors.


In this regard one may refer to the 485 feet high Tarbela Dam on the same river which was the world’s largest when built in 1976. It was later termed as “perhaps the world’s most problem-stricken major dam” in technical terms (The World Bank and large dams, failure to learn from history. World Bank Report # 4).
Bhasha with a maximum height of 922 feet would be one of the world’s highest dams, as compared to the famous 642 feet high Itaipu Dam in Brazil/Paraguay and the 607 feet high Three Gorges Dam in China. Furthermore, Bhasha site being located in the highly unstable seismic zone in a narrow valley of the upper Indus, could be vulnerable to some extraordinary safety hazards. What follows highlights some of the risks that may not have received full attention in the feasibility study of Bhasha Dam.
Regarding its background name of Bhasha Dam did not appear in the list of sites identified for storage dams at Kalabagh, Tarbela and Mangla etc in the mid 1950s. Nor it figured in the World Bank study of 1967 on Water and Power Resources of West Pakistan. It also did not form part of Wapda Revised Action Programme 1979.
Bhasha probably did not attract attention as it was not a natural site for a large storage reservoir. The wadi above the site was narrow instead of being wide, spreading out like a fan to form the lake. Nor there was any scope for side-channel storages as at Kalabagh, Tarbela and Mangla. It required a higher dam to obtain equivalent storage.
For instance, Bhasha Dam with its height of 982 feet would yield 6.4 million-acre- feet (MAF) live storage as compared to 6.1 MAF at Kalabagh with a height of only 260 feet. Moreover, the site lacked access. Power transmission line to load centres 250 miles away was to run over a very rough mountainous terrain in an active seismic zone.
Bhasha was said to have been included as a storage dam in the list of hydropower sites identified by Montreal Engineering Company (Moneco) of Canada, on cue as a counter weight to Kalabagh Dam. A feasibility study of Bhasha Dam was drawn by Moneco in 1984. It proposed a rock-fill dam 660 feet high with 5.7 MAF live storage and 3360 MW hydropower generation. Kalabagh Dam for which detailed designs and tender documents were ready by 1987 was opposed by NWFP ostensibly on the fear of flooding of Nowshera town and waterlogging of farmland. As the afore said fear technically was found to be untrue it is widely believed that the opposition to Kalabagh Dam was based on the grounds of loss of hydel royalty to NWFP since Kalabagh Dam and the power house happened to fall in Punjab. On the other hand, Bhasha site was located in NWFP rendering the province eligible for hydel royalty. This was borne out from a resolution of the NWFP Cabinet passed on April 20, 2005 wherein the Cabinet resolved as under:
“In the case of Kalabagh project NWFP would not be eligible to get net hydel profit in accordance with the constitutional provisions because the power house(s) would be established at a place falling under the jurisdiction of Punjab.”
A local government minister added that: “…the Cabinet had resolved that Bhasha Dam had more benefit than the Kalabagh Dam project” (May 1, 2005).
Sindh also objected to the construction of the Kalabagh Dam primarily for the fear that it would enable Punjab to divert unauthorised Indus flows into its canals.
In the face of a political log-jam in the efforts to obtain provincial consensus for Kalabagh Dam, Wapda in 2002 retained NEAC CONSULTANTS (a consortium comprising two national and two international firms) with NESPAK as the lead firm, as project consultant to update feasibility study of Bhasha Dam. Name of the dam was changed to Diamer Bhasha to mollify people of Northern Areas who contended that the site was situated in their Diamer district. For the sake of brevity Diamer Bhasha Dam will henceforth be referred to as Bhasha Dam. Here Project Feasibility Report completed in August 2004 recommended Bhasha Dam to be located on the lndus 197 miles upstream of Tarbela. Height of the dam was increased from 660 to 922 feet (40%) and its type changed from rock-fill to roller compact concrete (RCC). Effective storage was increased from 5.4 to 6.7 MAF (28%) and power potential enhanced from 3360 to 4500 MW (34%) yielding about 16,800 GWH annually.
Dams are an instrument of development. Yet every dam small or large carries an inherent risk of failure. In the case of a larger dam it could be catastrophic for life and property down the valley. Large dams are therefore planned and designed with utmost care to preclude as far as possible any risk of a failure. Following features of Bhasha Dam are considered important for addressing safety concerns with due regard to unacceptable increase in costs and period of project implementation:
” Seismic risk to the dam structure and the reservoir rim stability
” Maximum probable flood and spillway discharge capacity
” Under-estimation of costs and project implementation period
The dam will be located in a highly active seismic zone in the Kohistan region which fact is recognised in the Project Feasibility Report as under: “The region (of Bhasha Dam) is seismically very active due to its position near the collisional boundary of the Indian and Asiatic tectonic plates….The proposed dam site is located in the northern mountainous area of the Kohistan region. The Kohistan terrain represents an intra oceanic “Island Arc” which was formed as the result of the collision process of the Indian and Eurasian plates. Kohistan Island Arc is bounded by the Main Karakoram Thrust (MKT) in the north and west (Northern Suture) and by the Main Mantle Thrust (MMT) to the south and east (Southern Suture).”
The high seismic risk was demonstrated by the earthquake of extraordinary intensity of 7.6 on the Richter scale on October 8, 2005 causing widespread devastation in the region. After the earthquake, public and press were apprehensive of the safety of Bhasha Dam. A local English newspaper expressed fear in its editorial Is Bhasha Dam no longer an option? (Nov 13, 2005).
Sources in the Ministry of Water and Power said: “There are chances that it (Bhasha Dam) is declared unfeasible project or may be re-located due to the seismic zoning as the studies are going on for reconsideration about Bhasha Dam’s suitability. The fresh seismic studies are in progress but according to initial assessments, the site of Bhasha Dam is highly dangerous when huge water quantum is to be stored very close to Bisham-Battagram major earthquake fault line,” (The Nation Nov 11, 2005)
Large reservoirs also cause induced seismicity as observed during the filling and impoundment operations at the world’s highest 984 feet Norukh Dam in Kajistan, Effects of induced reservoir seismicity have to be catered for in dam safety concerns.
Bhasha Feasibility Report adopted, on the basis of seismic data then available, peak bedrock acceleration of 0.4g for maximum design earthquake and 0.21g for the design basic earthquake (DBE). In order to adequately address safety concerns of the dam the seismic data emanating from the earthquake of October 2005 is likely to result in a higher than 0.21g DBE Bhasha Dam will form a reservoir some 65 miles long spread over an area of 30,000 acres. Width of the glaciated Indus Valley forming the lake will range from less than 1/2 mile to 1.5 miles.
Mr Kenneth Hewitt a Canadian Glaciologist who studied glaciers of the Northern Areas for over 40 years has observed about the nature of the valley as under: “But you also see extensive areas of scoured, streamlined and pot-holed bed rock between Chilas and Bhasha, recording the water’s fury when it finally removed these impediments. …formed of rock slides or rock avalanches long in the past” (Sep 2005).
The study of landslides in the reservoir rim by US Geological Survey highlights the significance of slope movements induced by the storages. Rockslides related to reservoirs likely to be large and very rapid, generally have been more destructive than slope movements. The Grand Coulee Dam impoundment on the Columbia River in USA has been the site of hundreds of reservoir-induced landslides since its filling in the early 1940s.
A review of Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze in China by a panel of experts found that the conclusion reached in the Feasibility Study that the reservoir would result in “no significant change in slope stability” is highly questionable considering that wide fluctuations in storage levels are likely to have a destabilising effect on potential slide areas. Erosion has already been noticed along the reservoir rim in some regions.
Bhasha Feasibility Report discussed the risk of landslides in the reservoir. But it did not investigate the effect of earthquakes, including those induced by the reservoir itself, on activating landslides in areas rated as stable. Nor did it evaluate the impact of landslide waves on spillway gates at the time of rapid drawdown in the reservoir immediately prior to the flood season. The report noted potential hazards of the large masses of moraine deposits upstream of Chilas becoming unstable on coming in contact with lake water generating dynamic waves, local blocking of the reservoir and increase in sediment loads. It concludes, however, that “these will not cause unusual problem.” This conclusion is open to question, The report did not seem to investigate effects of earthquakes, including those induced by the reservoir itself and the submergence and pore pressures in the gorge slopes on activating landslides in the rim rated as stable.
The Vajont disaster was a classic example with regard to risks of failure due to landslides in the reservoir rim. Vajont Dam is located in the south-eastern part of the Dolomite Region of the Italian Alps. The 870 feet tall world’s highest thin arch dam was completed in 1960 with storage of barely 0.1 MAF. The dam was built across a deep, narrow gorge in the Vajont Valley. The geological setting of the valley was characterised by massive near-vertical high cliffs.
During construction of the dam concern was expressed about stability of the left flank of the dam. Investigations identified a possible prehistoric slide on the right bank. Whilst there was considerable discussion of the stability of the valley walls it was concluded that deep-seated landslides were extremely unlikely. However during filling of the reservoir a gigantic block of rock detached from one rim slid into the lake at unimaginably high velocities. As a result an 820 feet wave over topped the dam and swept onto the valley below causing large loss of life and property. Remarkably the dam structure remained unbroken by the flood wave.
There are topographical similarities of a narrow valley at the Bhasha and Vajont Dam sites. Whereas geology at Bhasha comprises more competent rock formations than at Vajont, its proximity to earthquake faults could result in the possibility of similar disastrous events. Bhasha spillway with radial gates will have a discharge capacity of 640,000 cusecs. It was based on the record flood of August 1929 with peak discharge of 837,000 cusecs adopted as the Basic Design Flood. The 18th Century historic Biafo Glacier flood discharge estimated at 1,744,000 cusecs is assumed as the Probable Maximum Flood.
The spillway capacity should be examined with regard to the drainage characteristics of the upper Indus catchments in the mountain ranges of the Great Himalayas, Karakoram and the Hindu Kush. The region is largely covered by glaciers and snow. Avalanches, massive rock slides, land slides and snow dams blocking stream flow and lake bursts are not unknown in that region. A major event of this nature occurred in 1841 when the mighty Indus ran dry for 6 months. A battalion of Sikh army crossed it on foot above Attock.
This was caused by an earthquake which triggered a massive rock avalanche from a side of the Nanga Parbat blocking Indus flow for 6 months forming a lake. When the rock and snow dam barrier across the river burst open, it unleashed a devastating flood wave of highest discharge ever recorded at Attock. According to Hewitt incidence of catastrophic rock slides, avalanches or snow dams was not confined to the past but is a continuing albeit unpredictable feature of the terrain.
A dam can be designed to withstand the impact of an earthquake of any estimated magnitude. But a surge caused by major rockslides, avalanches or snow dams could be much higher than design flood resulting in serious risks to dam safety due to limited discharge capacity of the spillway. And Bhasha site topography presents severe limitations on the spillway discharge facilities.
It may warrant freeboard higher than 10 feet though it may not be able to cater for a flood of higher magnitude nor in the event of concurrent occurrence of a seismic tremor. Type of dam structure has been changed from rock-fill to RCC masonry. Earth/rock fill embankments besides being relatively economical are more resilient than masonry dams. They can effectively dampen to a large extent seismic tremors and impact of high floods.
It was because of such technical and economic considerations that dams at Mangla, Tarbela, and those proposed at Kalabagh and the original Bhasha were rock-fill embankments. World’s two highest dams namely 1100 feet Rugan and its older sister 984 feet Nurukh are not masonry structures as would expect but rock-fill embankments. Both are located on the Vakhash River in a seismic region of Tajikstan.
Further more RCC is relatively a new material for dam construction. Nowhere in the world it has been used for construction of dams higher than about 700 ft as at Longtan in China. It may be possible to design a fail proof dam. But no state of the art technology is yet available to predict precisely occurrence much less magnitude neither of a Probable Maximum Flood nor of a Maximum Design Earthquake. To use RCC for construction of 922 ft high Bhasha Dam located in a seismic zone and at the mouth of a hazardous valley terrain would be like sailing in untried waters with risks of catastrophic proportions.
Construction period of Bhasha Dam has been taken at 7 years compared to 10 for the far lower original rock-fill dam. Keeping in view severe constraints of access to site, right of way and affectees’ problems and procedural delays including mobilisation of funds etc implementation schedule of the dam is obviously over optimistic.
According to the Feasibility Report cost of Bhasha Project has been estimated as US$4.6 billion against $6.7 billion of the lower original dam estimated by Moneco in 1984. Without going into a detailed review total cost presented by NEAC would appear to be a gross underestimate. Cost of 40% higher RCC dam is shown to be about the same as of a lower rock-fill embankment. In particular provision of US$572 million for relocating 66 miles of Karakoram Highway, acquisition of right of way over 32,000 acres and relocating some 24,000 persons including other facilities appears to be too low.
If the cost of original Bhasha Dam estimated by Moneco in 1984 was adjusted for inflation over the past 20 years, the updated figure at current rates would exceed $10 billion. Price tag of $6.5 billion in 2004 for the higher Bhasha Dam Project should therefore need to be reassessed.
In the light of foregoing paragraphs it seemed its water and power benefits were upgraded and cost and time frame reduced albeit questionably and disregarding its safety aspects, as if to rank Diamer Bhasha Dam superior to Kalabagh,. The bid apparently did succeed in January 2006 when the govt gave priority to Bhasha Dam over Kalabah to be built first.

A consortium of consultants with Lehmeyer International of Germany as the lead firm has been retained for review of feasibility studies, detailed engineering designs and preparation of contract documents for Bhasha Dam Project. But the lead firm had been black listed by the World Bank after being found involved in cases of corruption and kickbacks while executing the Losotho Highlands Project in 1997.
Lehmeyer International was also a consultant to India’s controversial 4500 mw Baglihar hydropower project on the Chenab in IHK. The Bank notified India of this decision. The Government of India notified J&K State of the Bank’s decision on Nov 24, 2006 that Lehmeyer International was not qualified to be retained as consultant for any project. But the Bank’s decision appears to have been ignored.
Lehmeyer helped India’s Indus Waters Commission in preparing its case for the Neutral Expert Prof Raymond Laffite appointed by the Bank in connection with Pakistan’s complaint with regard to Baglihar Project. Lehmeyer also appointed Dr Schwartz. He was said to be a consultant to the Norwegian Construction Company engaged as a contractor for building Baglihar Project.

Prof Laffite as the Neutral Expert “gave a win-win verdict (in favour of India) on February 12, 2007″ (Jun 24, 2007). One can only wonder why Pakistan government chose to retain a consultant blacklisted by the World Bank and known for supporting India in its case against Pakistan’s complaints on Baglihar Project.

Certain concerns about safety of Bhasha Dam have been highlighted so that they are addressed
 
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cost of $12.6 billions !!! woow U guyz will be making a huge one

can anyone provide CGI or an artist's rendering?? that would be great.
 
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Benefits:

Availability of about 6,400,000 acre feet (7.89×109 m3) annual surface face water storage for supplementing irrigation supplies during low flow periods.

Harnessing of renewable source of clean and cheap energy through installed capacity of 4500 MW.

Reduction of dependence on thermal power, thus saving foreign exchange
Employment opportunity, particularly to the locals, during the construction and operation.

Creation of massive infrastructure leading to overall socio-economic uplift of the area and standard of living of people.
 
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At present, China has 85,160 reservoirs. From 1954 to 2005, a total of 3,486 reservoir dams collapsed. Each year, many reservoirs experience flood damage. In 2004 alone, 7,286 reservoirs experienced flood damage and are in need of repair.

According to China Newsweek reports, among the 85,000 plus reservoirs in China, over 30,000 (35 percent) have problems but continue to be operational, constituting a major hidden danger in water resource facilities.

Now, in China, not one province, city, or district is free of dangerous reservoirs. In the provinces of Hunan, Guangdong, Sichuan, Shandong, Yunnan, Hubei, and Jiangxi, each province has more than 1,600 dangerous reservoirs. In Guangdong Province, there are 3,685 dangerous reservoirs—a total of 55 percent of all reservoirs in the province...

...In the world's record of disasters due to human technical failures, the 1975 collapse of China's Banqiao reservoir dam in Henan province ranked first, which is higher than the Chernobyl disaster in the former Soviet Union. In a matter of days, 26 dams collapsed one after another, which resulted in massive flooding in nine counties and one town. More than 100,000 corpses were retrieved when the flooding receded. Deaths due to the repercussions of grain shortages and infectious diseases amounted to 140,000; while the total number of deaths recorded was 240,000. This death toll was comparable to the China's Tangshan earthquake in the following year, and the damage dealt was worse than the collapse of Egypt's Aswan reservoir dam.
 
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At present, China has 85,160 reservoirs. From 1954 to 2005, a total of 3,486 reservoir dams collapsed. Each year, many reservoirs experience flood damage. In 2004 alone, 7,286 reservoirs experienced flood damage and are in need of repair.

According to China Newsweek reports, among the 85,000 plus reservoirs in China, over 30,000 (35 percent) have problems but continue to be operational, constituting a major hidden danger in water resource facilities.

Now, in China, not one province, city, or district is free of dangerous reservoirs. In the provinces of Hunan, Guangdong, Sichuan, Shandong, Yunnan, Hubei, and Jiangxi, each province has more than 1,600 dangerous reservoirs. In Guangdong Province, there are 3,685 dangerous reservoirs—a total of 55 percent of all reservoirs in the province...

...In the world's record of disasters due to human technical failures, the 1975 collapse of China's Banqiao reservoir dam in Henan province ranked first, which is higher than the Chernobyl disaster in the former Soviet Union. In a matter of days, 26 dams collapsed one after another, which resulted in massive flooding in nine counties and one town. More than 100,000 corpses were retrieved when the flooding receded. Deaths due to the repercussions of grain shortages and infectious diseases amounted to 140,000; while the total number of deaths recorded was 240,000. This death toll was comparable to the China's Tangshan earthquake in the following year, and the damage dealt was worse than the collapse of Egypt's Aswan reservoir dam.
after all that inf You guys should be happy that chinese are building our dams.

:cheers:
 
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Chinese company receives Contract to Build Pakistan Dam

Wednesday, 26 December 2007

Gezhouba Co., one of China's largest civil engineering companies, said it's received a $1.5 billion contract to build a hydroelectric dam in Pakistan, according to its statement to the Shanghai Stock Exchange today.

Gezhouba, with the help of China National Machinery & Equipment Import & Export Corp., will build the Neelum-Jhelum dam on the Neelum River to generate electricity, the company said. The dam is in ***************** Kashmir near the India border and will be completed within 93 months, the Chinese company said.

The project, which will generate 969 megawatts of electricity, will be inaugurated by President Pervez Musharraf at the end of the month, Pakistan.

More than 2,000 Chinese engineers will work on the project in pakistan.

Chinese company receives Contract to Build Pakistan Dam - Unique Pakistan


This is typical Hippocrasy when pakistani says that the Kashmir is disputed area, then how can they construct something in a disputed land.

And when India do some construction in its valid territories of Jammu and Kashmir they will make a big song and dance drama.


This same company is building Dam in India, India should put ban this companies and other companies who are involve in a disputed land.
 
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AsiaInfo Services
02-27-2009
China Gezhouba Undertakes Pakistan Biggest Hydropower Project

MUZAFFARABAD, Feb 27, 2009 (SinoCast Daily Business Beat via COMTEX) -- The main engineering of Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project broke earth days ago in Muzaffarabad District, capital of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, according to the builder, China Gezhouba Group Co., Ltd. (SHSE: 600068).

On February 19, 2009, China Gezhouba began to excavate the diversion power plant's A6 branch tunnel, which will be 685 meters long, seven meters wide, and eight meters high covering a total cross-section area of 58 square meters. And the branch tunnel will serve as the path to the main…


I can post the full article if someone is willing to lend me their credit card, mines full :D
 
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At present, China has 85,160 reservoirs. From 1954 to 2005, a total of 3,486 reservoir dams collapsed. Each year, many reservoirs experience flood damage. In 2004 alone, 7,286 reservoirs experienced flood damage and are in need of repair.

According to China Newsweek reports, among the 85,000 plus reservoirs in China, over 30,000 (35 percent) have problems but continue to be operational, constituting a major hidden danger in water resource facilities.

Now, in China, not one province, city, or district is free of dangerous reservoirs. In the provinces of Hunan, Guangdong, Sichuan, Shandong, Yunnan, Hubei, and Jiangxi, each province has more than 1,600 dangerous reservoirs. In Guangdong Province, there are 3,685 dangerous reservoirs—a total of 55 percent of all reservoirs in the province...

...In the world's record of disasters due to human technical failures, the 1975 collapse of China's Banqiao reservoir dam in Henan province ranked first, which is higher than the Chernobyl disaster in the former Soviet Union. In a matter of days, 26 dams collapsed one after another, which resulted in massive flooding in nine counties and one town. More than 100,000 corpses were retrieved when the flooding receded. Deaths due to the repercussions of grain shortages and infectious diseases amounted to 140,000; while the total number of deaths recorded was 240,000. This death toll was comparable to the China's Tangshan earthquake in the following year, and the damage dealt was worse than the collapse of Egypt's Aswan reservoir dam.

God damn so called "Cultural Revolution" ,China was almost destroyed in this disaster :tdown::hitwall::hitwall:
 
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ISLAMABAD: The issue of land acquisition for controversial Diamer Bhasha Dam has resolved as the federal government would pay Rs 40 billion compensation to affectees of the project, while its construction would be likely to start at end of 2010.

Water and Power Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, Kashmir Affairs Minister Mian Manzoor Ahmed Watoo and Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Syed Mehdi Shah expressed these views during a joint press conference here on Thursday.

Watoo said the negotiation was on the way to debt financing from World Bank (WB) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) and soon all matters with international financial institutions would be settled down.

He said litigation process with affectees had almost been settled and all stakeholders of 4500 MW Hydel power project had agreed to go ahead with it.

He said 37,000 acres of land had been acquired and according to the agreement 18,896 acres would be used, adding the government would pay compensation against land.

He said the federal government would pay total amount of compensation within three years and no more survey of the site would be conducted because the previous survey would be considered final to get rid of any controversy.

“Committee formed on Diamer Bhasha Dam has decided to offer jobs to locals,” he said. He said Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) had been formed to resolve the unexpected and minor disputes in the future.

Watoo said by the construction of Dyamir-Basha Dam, life of Terbella Dam would likely increase 40-50 years due to reduction in water pressure. “Water storage capacity of Diamer Bhasha Damis 6.4 million acres feet (MAF) and this dam has a capability to generate 4500 MW Hydel power,” he said. He said request for release of Rs 0.6 billion for development works particularly road maintenance had been moved to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

“It has also been decided to establish a Polytechnic Institute in Chillas. While Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) has expressed its interest to upgrade the health facilities in Chillas and Skardu’s district hospitals for the local residences,” he said.

Water and Power Minster Raja Pervez Ashraf said the project with a total cost of $12 billion would start at the end of 2010 and the government had the opportunity to get funds from international financial institutions for this second largest Hydel power project in the country.
 
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India's KHP a threat to Neelum-Jhelum Hydro project'

MUHAMMAD RIAZ
LAHORE (March 12 2010): Pakistan Water Front Convenor Shahzad Ali Malik has said the Kishenganga Hydroelectric Project (KHP) initiated by India poses a threat to the Neelum-Jhelum Hydro Project because India has planned to divert the River Jhelum water through Wullar Barrage. India has planned 86 projects at a cost of Indian Rs 240 billion on Pakistani rivers including Chenab, Jhelum and Indus.

Almost 19 projects have been completed, he said in a media briefing on water issue between India and Pakistan, here on Thursday. The briefing was organised by the Pakistan Water Front, an organisation working under Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).

He said the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had disclosed about the projects at the inaugural ceremony of Baglihar Dam. Malik warned that all the chambers of commerce and industries and the trade bodies would not support any peace deal with the Indian government until and unless the water issue between the two countries was resolved.

According to details, India has so far completed a number of hydroelectric (H/E) projects on Pakistani rivers. The projects planned on River Chenab include Slal Project of 690 MW at 45-mile upper-side Marala Barrage, Dul-Hasti H/E Plant of 780 MW near Kishtwar, Baglihar H/E Plant of 450 MW at about 147-kilometer upper-side of Marala Headworks, Rajouri H/E Plant, Killer H/E Plant, Thirot H/E Plant, Shansha H/E Plant, Billing H/E Plant, Sissu H/E Plant, Chinani H/E Plant and Bhadarwah H/E Plant.

Similarly, the projects planned on River Jhelum include Asthan H/E Plant, Bandipur H/E Plant, Dachhigam H/E Plant, Karan H/E Plant, Lower Jhelum H/E Plant, Matchi H/E Plant, Pahalgam H/E Plant, Poonch H/E Plant, Sambal H/E Plant, Upper Sind H/E Plant and Uri H/E Plant. The projects on the River Indus include Kargil/Iqbal MHP, Sumoor, Hunder, Bazgo HEP, Stakna, Igo-Marcelong, Marpachoo, Haftal MHP, Sanjak MHP, Nimo Bazgo HEP and Chutak HEP.

LCCI President Zafar Iqbal Chaudhary said the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) advised the Indian government to strangulate Pakistan economically by using water as a weapon. To counter the FICCI nefarious design, the LCCI has formed Pakistan Water Front to mobilise the domestic and international opinion on the rights that Pakistan enjoys through internationally guaranteed Indus Water Treaty. "We have also planned to take standing committees of the assemblies and 125 trade bodies including the chambers of commerce and industry on board to deal with the issue," he added.

The LCCI President said the FICCI in its detailed advisory report on Pakistan had advised its government to use all means to control Pakistan including surprise military strikes, denial of air space rights to Pakistani aircraft and stopping river water from going into Pakistan by building dams.

Chaudhry distributed the FICCI report to the media and informed them that it was downloaded from FICCI website but after uproar in Pakistan it has now been removed from the internet. He said the report forced the LCCI to do research on the Indian designs and it was found that India was building water reservoirs over river Jhelum, Chenab and Indus many of which were operative and over a 100 projects were at various stages of construction. He said most of these projects were in violation of Indus Water Treaty and need to be checked immediately. He said the international pressure on India should be intensified to force it to stop building these projects.

The LCCI would give a presentation on the water issue to Bangladesh in next month followed by China because both the countries are also victim of Indian aggression. "We would take both the countries on board to evolve joint strategy to counter Indian evil designs through which it wants to convert the neighbouring countries into land barren," he added. To develop pressure on India, the LCCI was also planning to organise similar presentation before international organisations including the World Bank who is guarantor of Indus Water Treaty, he maintained.

The LCCI President said that after seeing the designs of the Indian businessmen the trade talks with India should be stopped forthwith. According to LCCI Pakistan is on the brink of mass starvation as the process to turn it into a desert had begun because of a drastic cut in water availability from 5,000 cubic meters per capita in 1950s to 1000 cubic meter in 2010 despite the fact that water availability per capita ranks last amongst Asian countries and Pakistan experiencing severe water shortage.

Without water 20 million acres of fertile land would dry up in a week and tens of millions of people would starve. No army, with bombs and shellfire could devastate Pakistan as India could devastate it by cutting off river flows.

India is building a huge storage capability (National River Linking Project) with a cost of US $120 billion to be completed by 2016 with features to diversion of 178 cubic KM water from north to south, including 3,000 storage reservoirs, 14,000 KM of canals, resulting in conflicts with neighbouring countries including China, Bangladesh and Bhutan.

Chairman Muttahida Kissan Mahaz Ayub Mayo has said Mahaz is going to organise protest on zero line at Barki border against India for its water aggression. A large number of farmers would take part in the protest, he said. Federal Minister Sultan Ali Chaudhry also spoke on the occasion and threw light on a number of technical aspects of the issue.

Business Recorder [Pakistan's First Financial Daily]
 
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At present, China has 85,160 reservoirs. From 1954 to 2005, a total of 3,486 reservoir dams collapsed. Each year, many reservoirs experience flood damage. In 2004 alone, 7,286 reservoirs experienced flood damage and are in need of repair.

According to China Newsweek reports, among the 85,000 plus reservoirs in China, over 30,000 (35 percent) have problems but continue to be operational, constituting a major hidden danger in water resource facilities.

Now, in China, not one province, city, or district is free of dangerous reservoirs. In the provinces of Hunan, Guangdong, Sichuan, Shandong, Yunnan, Hubei, and Jiangxi, each province has more than 1,600 dangerous reservoirs. In Guangdong Province, there are 3,685 dangerous reservoirs—a total of 55 percent of all reservoirs in the province...

...In the world's record of disasters due to human technical failures, the 1975 collapse of China's Banqiao reservoir dam in Henan province ranked first, which is higher than the Chernobyl disaster in the former Soviet Union. In a matter of days, 26 dams collapsed one after another, which resulted in massive flooding in nine counties and one town. More than 100,000 corpses were retrieved when the flooding receded. Deaths due to the repercussions of grain shortages and infectious diseases amounted to 140,000; while the total number of deaths recorded was 240,000. This death toll was comparable to the China's Tangshan earthquake in the following year, and the damage dealt was worse than the collapse of Egypt's Aswan reservoir dam.

Most of the collapse seems more like a maintenance issue. I remember I was told a more deadly collapse of dam in Northern China in 1960s(?) as revealed by the first author of this article http://202.127.1.11/optical/33/33303.pdf

On the other hand, if you don’t drive car, there will be zero car accident. Even famous Toyota has such a big problem as we know now. The United States leads the industrialized world in level of gun-related deaths because of popular gun ownership.

Don't get gleeful on it anyways …
 
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