The multi-dimensional water crisis created due to endemic water miss-management are not reported by the Media. Integrated Comprehensive water management and its components are Federal works for the provinces. It includes the components of flood control, (by building Katzarah Dam, Guroh Dop Dam, and the generation of hydropower). Its vital components are modernization of the wasteful and obsolete canal irrigation system as complete whole, to save massive wastage of water (equal to 8 times the storage of Basha Dam). Its integral part is drainage system that is missing in the Indus basin and shall have to be provided to remove and control salinity, sodicity and water logging. It includes the control on silt flow in the Indus to avoid rapid silting of reservoirs. These are not provincial subjects and are beyond the means of provinces to handle. Media vigorously exposed corruption, it should also expose multi-dimensional water issues and NFC to provide funds
See my web site on water issues and solutions: ( fatehuk.blogspot.com)
I wonder if the Media and NFC know the apparent and hidden water issues!
This paper highlights two dozens multi-dimensional water crisis and economic blunders.
The Government, the bureaucracy, and the Parliament, failed to foresee and set right the multidimensional water and power crisis that devastated the country and the people, causing about 200 billion dollars losses. So much so, that even the Government does not know many of the existing silent multi-dimensional water crisis. Media and also NFC remained unaware, and silent to highlight these economic issues while distributing funds. Media represents people and is the admonitory agency to trigger activities. This sharp-edged-sword-agency should give more time to national economic development. It has great responsibility in building the Nation. Now-a-days Media obliges multifarious persons of little advantage by publishing their articles who want to raise their self-ego. The previous policy of Media was excellent as it use to keep the nation well informed of economic problems and developments. Media has ignored the multiple, devastating, economic water issues including flood control and hydropower. The President, and the Prime Minister are inaccessible so as to bring water issues to their notice. In such cases, their personal patronage is vital otherwise water issues will continue. Media should divert politics to the solution of water crisis and its development.
I have recently found that Newspapers are not publishing articles on the basis of their importance and public interest. For example, the endemic water miss-management is ignored. The media is not highlighting multi-dimensional water crisis, power crises that crippled the nation, flood crises that devastated 22% of the country, drainage crises that deteriorated the Indus basin causing salinity, sodicity and water logging, rapid silting crisis of reservoirs, food, and agriculture issues. The basic necessities of life have become very difficult to get. These crisis have raised the prices, stopped business and industrial activities and made jobs difficult. The policy of media needs change in the economic interest of the nation and in creating awareness about multiple water crisis.
Media should give regular time to capable specialists and experts to appear on TV Channels to give suggestions, and their views published in Newspapers. Experts should give suggestions and point out flaws. This will create revolution in development and assist Government and the people to build nation. The bureaucrats should be asked to come out of the status quo in which they are stuck. The country is facing devastating economic issues. These issues require support of Media to awaken the Government and the bureaucracy. Consider journalist engineers for regular reporting. The multiple economic crises for implement are:
The implementation of the Integrated Comprehensive Water Mismanagement with all its components is vitally required. It includes canal system modernization to avoid colossal wastage of water, (8 times the storage of Basha Dam), storage of floodwater that goes waste, providing missing drainage system, carry out silt control, replacing flood irrigation method, replacing endemic WARABANDI besides land reclamation to eradicate and control salinity, sodicity and water logging and so on.
The crippling multidimensional water issues that need immediate attention of the Media for inviting Government participation are;
Development of Water Resources by building mega, multipurpose Dams to store water for irrigating barren lands to meet food requirements of the rapidly growing population, control floods, and generate hydropower to remove crippling load shedding that caused about 100 billion dollars losses to the nation. Hydropower is the key to development.
Control the Super floods by building the unique, multipurpose, 35-maf of Katzarah Dam on the Indus that will generate 15,000 MW of Hydropower, store massive water for Irrigation, and effectively act as watershed management dam to control silt flow from the highly erodible soil of Skardu valley. Katzarah Dam will thus increase the life of Basha Dam from its estimated life of 80 or 90 years to about 800 years. Life of Tarbela will increase by about 50 years. The benefit would be worth at least $ 2000.
Controlling Super floods in Kabul River by building huge, multipurpose, 8.5-maf Guroh Dop Dam on Panjkora River that has an excellent capacity-inflow ratio to give long life span. Munda as proposed is a single purpose power dam on run-of-the-river. Munda Dam has negligible live storage capacity of 0.67 maf only. This negligible storage of 0.67 maf cannot control a flood discharge of 400,000 cusecs in Kabul River equal to 560 times the storage volume of Munda Dam. Chairman WAPDA wrongly stated in the daily The News dated November 27, 2010 that Munda will control floods in Kabul River to protect Nowshera.
By this date, we have lost due to silting a combine storage capacity up to about 7.0 maf in Tarbela and Mangla. This requires immediate replacement by a mega dam. Implementation of Water Accord paras 2, 4, 6, and replacement of lost storage at Tarbela and Mangla need (12.35+7+…)=19.35+… maf of water. Katzarah Dam can only meet this huge demand. Water Accord para 14(e), requires water management to save massive wastage of water in Canal Irrigation System.
The Indus River requires channelization to reduce huge losses (up to 16 maf) from the 14 miles wide riverbed between Chashma to Gddu barrage that includes theft of water. It will reclaim millions of acres of land on both sides of the riverbank for growing forest along the Indus River. Channelization would be easy after damming the Indus.
Modernization by water management of the 150 years old, endemic, wasteful, incompatible, and obsolete Canal Irrigation System in the Indus Basin will save about 50 maf of water equal to more than 8 times the storage capacity of Basha Dam or Kalabagh Dam. Neither the Media nor the Government paid attention to this endemic, wasteful system. The water issues if allowed to continue like this, will bring hunger and bloody revolutions in the near future. These economic problems are beyond the reach of provinces to finance. Therefore, Federal Government must set them right.
All natural surface drains in the country are blocked by encroachments due to negligence, as no body followed the “Canal and Drainage Act of 1887” to maintain surface drains. This has created sanitary problems. More serious is the problem, that rain and floodwater is held up for 5 months as during this flood. It also destroys cropland and damages infrastructures by flooding. It aggravates salinity, sodicity and water logging.
The Canal and Drainage Act prohibits interfering with the flow and waterways of drains, canals and river. No waterway is to be blocked or its flow altered or used. In 2010 flood, Canal and Drainage Act was violated by breaching bunds as satellite images show.
WAPDA initiated mega projects like, Kachi Canal from Mithan Kot for Baluchistan, mega Drainage Project of SCARP, and another mega Drainage Project of NDP. The three mega projects miserably failed wasting 1000 billion rupees till seventy. In spite this, no technical inquiry was conducted to know the causes of failure of these mega projects and to know their correct solution. In fact, the solution for drainage lies in providing surface and sub-surface tile drainage, practiced all over the world but ignored by WAPDA. WAPDA surprisingly installed tube wells, a wrong concept that failed to remove and control salinity and sodicity. It rather circulates it.
There are one million small tube wells installed by the farmers in the Indus Basin after the failure of drainage schemes. These tube wells are pumping 250 million tons of injurious salts into the soil each year invisibly and gradually destroying it. No one takes notice.
Similarly, WAPDA could not conceive a single “All Pakistan Grand Canal” to irrigate area in three provinces of Dera Ismail Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Kachi Plain in Baluchistan by a single gravity flow canal from Chashma. WAPDA first tried Kachi Canal from Mithan Kot, but it was abandoned for a wrong alignment. Then Kachi Canal was re-aligned from Taunsa barrage for Baluchistan. WAPDA built the Chashma Right Bank Canal for two provinces of D.I.Khan, and for Dera Ghazi Khan. Now the Chashma Right Bank Lift Canal is proposed. WAPDA tried to irrigate lands on the right Bank of the Indus in pieces for the three provinces. WAPDA failed to conceive a single high-level gravity flow canal from Chashma to Sibi and onward on a higher elevation with better command, and less than half the cost. I proposed a single gravity flow “All Pakistan Grand Canal” in 1962 but no notice was taken by the Government.
For what secret purpose rapid silting Kalabagh Dam was provided “50 days restricted mid-level sluicing hydraulic design” in the tailored TOR by WAPDA to the Project Consultant? The Hydraulic design given by WAPDA in the tailored TOR became controversial with the hydraulic design of KBD Project Consultant provided by them in the Feasibility Report. The Consultant provided long life “100 days unrestricted low-level sluicing hydraulic design”. The Consultant state in the KBD Project Report, that WAPDA design will cause rapid silting upstream of the Attock Gorge, and unacceptable backwater flow, in Kabul River. The Project’s TOR, foundation of dam, height of dam, its power generation, and earthquake intensity factor are not in agreement with the Consultant. See Feasibility Report. Moreover, silting and backwater flow, will cause sever inundation of Peshawar valley up to elevation 970 as experienced this flood season without Kalabagh Dam. It will be hell with Kalabagh Dam.
Why WAPDA unnecessarily continued to maintain 36 years long status quo at the cost of (crippling load shedding resulting in billions of dollars loss, and historic devastation by 2010 massive flood destroying 22% of most fertile area of Pakistan)? This was all because of status quo created for Kalabagh Dam.
Why the unique 35-maf Katzarah Dam, with a life span of 1000 years capable of generating 15,000 MW of environment friendly hydropower, controlling super floods in the Indus, capable of irrigating 5 million acres of barren lands, was ignored and not built in 36 years when I first discovered it in 1962. Katzarah Dam would function as water shed management Dam to prevent heavy silt flow in to Tarbela and Basha Reservoirs.
Engr Fateh Ullah Khan former Chairman IRSA discovered Katzarah Dam in 1962, and confirmed by Dr Pieter Lieftnick Head of the World Team in 1968. WAPDA avoided the construction of Katzarah Dam, waiting to build KBD. This was a crime against the nation.
Similarly, I discovered in November 1960, the multipurpose Guroh Dop Dam with 8.5 maf reservoir named Shigo Katch on Panjkora River with an annual run-off of about 3 maf. Swat River wing has also 3 maf of annual flow. The combine flow of Swat River and Panjkora River is 6 maf called Swat River. After meeting the water requirements of Lower Swat Canal System, and the Civil Canals, Guroh Dop Dam will be able to provide water to additional about 50,000 acres of land. Guroh Dop Dam will control super floods in Kabul River to protect Nowshera. It will generate 500 MW of Hydropower with a height of 450 feet of the dam. WAPDA ignored Guroh Dop dam due to ignorance, not knowing that there is a multipurpose dam about 7 to 8 miles on the upstream of Munda Dam on Panjkora River Arm of Swat River. Munda Dam is a single purpose 700 feet high power dam on Swat River Wing, and not flood control dam. Guroh Dop is cheaper than Munda. It has a life span of 1000 years due to excellent C.I. ratio and very little silt flow.
Charlatans in WAPDA have declared Munda Dam as flood control dam for lack of knowledge, and ignored Guroh Dop Dam for lack of investigations. This is a massive blunder. Therefore, avoid Munda and build the multipurpose Guroh Dop Dam. Guroh Dop dam for its massive reservoir of 8.5 maf is far better than Munda Dam with a reservoir capacity of 0.67 maf. Munda has no storage capacity to control floods. Munda is on run-of-the-river.
WAPDA is committing fantastic blunder not to build Guroh Dop Dam. It has already committed blunder for 36 years for not building any dam although Tarbela and Mangla are silted up by 7.0 maf?
Why is it that WAPDA ignored the unique 35-maf Katzarah Dam and the multipurpose 8.5 maf Guroh Dop Dam when I discovered these dame sites since for the past about 50 years? Had these dams were built before, there would have been no devastating losses in billions of dollars from 2010 floods and no crippling load shedding?.
During 1959, I discovered a spectacular dam site at Khajuri Katch in (Dozakh Tangi or valley of hell) on Gomal River in South Waziristan Agency. Gomal River is notorious for super floods and destruction of the three districts by floodwater. On posting as Project Director Gomal Zam Dam in 1959, I discovered Khajuri Katch Dam site and started investigation for construction of the dam at new site, 30 miles downstream of old site on Gomal River. The work in progress at the old site at Gul Katch on Gomal River was stopped after Rs 2 crores were already spent by the department on a wrong dam site. It will be shocking to know that WAPDA completed Gomal Dam at new site after 50 years after I initiated it, just before 2010 floods. It will further be surprising to know that three districts of Tank, Kulachi and DIKhan that used to be destroyed by the floods of Gomal River are safe this year due to the construction of Gomal Dam and the creation of its huge reservoir at Adam Kok. The benefits of two stages of dam (before construction and after construction are before the nation to see the difference.
There is a dire need to provide “Land Drainage System” a vital component of Irrigation but is missing for more than a century. Natural surface drains have also disappeared due to encroachments. Healthy agriculture requires land drainage by providing surface and sub-surface tile drainage to reclaim 60% of land affected by salinity, sodicity and water logging to various degrees. This will increase crop yield many times. It will also improve quality of grains, and fruits. The fragrance of flower would be improved and flowers exported.
For setting right the multiDevastating economic water issues unwatched by
Media and NFC
The multi-dimensional water crisis created due to endemic water miss-management are not reported by the Media. Integrated Comprehensive water management and its components are Federal works for the provinces. It includes the components of flood control, (by building Katzarah Dam, Guroh Dop Dam, and the generation of hydropower). Its vital components are modernization of the wasteful and obsolete canal irrigation system as complete whole, to save massive wastage of water (equal to 8 times the storage of Basha Dam). Its integral part is drainage system that is missing in the Indus basin and shall have to be provided to remove and control salinity, sodicity and water logging. It includes the control on silt flow in the Indus to avoid rapid silting of reservoirs. These are not provincial subjects and are beyond the means of provinces to handle. Media vigorously exposed corruption, it should also expose multi-dimensional water issues and NFC to provide funds
See my web site on water issues and solutions: ( fatehuk.blogspot.com)
I wonder if the Media and NFC know the apparent and hidden water issues!
This paper highlights two dozens multi-dimensional water crisis and economic blunders.
The Government, the bureaucracy, and the Parliament, failed to foresee and set right the multidimensional water and power crisis that devastated the country and the people, causing about 200 billion dollars losses. So much so, that even the Government does not know many of the existing silent multi-dimensional water crisis. Media and also NFC remained unaware, and silent to highlight these economic issues while distributing funds. Media represents people and is the admonitory agency to trigger activities. This sharp-edged-sword-agency should give more time to national economic development. It has great responsibility in building the Nation. Now-a-days Media obliges multifarious persons of little advantage by publishing their articles who want to raise their self-ego. The previous policy of Media was excellent as it use to keep the nation well informed of economic problems and developments. Media has ignored the multiple, devastating, economic water issues including flood control and hydropower. The President, and the Prime Minister are inaccessible so as to bring water issues to their notice. In such cases, their personal patronage is vital otherwise water issues will continue. Media should divert politics to the solution of water crisis and its development.
I have recently found that Newspapers are not publishing articles on the basis of their importance and public interest. For example, the endemic water miss-management is ignored. The media is not highlighting multi-dimensional water crisis, power crises that crippled the nation, flood crises that devastated 22% of the country, drainage crises that deteriorated the Indus basin causing salinity, sodicity and water logging, rapid silting crisis of reservoirs, food, and agriculture issues. The basic necessities of life have become very difficult to get. These crisis have raised the prices, stopped business and industrial activities and made jobs difficult. The policy of media needs change in the economic interest of the nation and in creating awareness about multiple water crisis.
Media should give regular time to capable specialists and experts to appear on TV Channels to give suggestions, and their views published in Newspapers. Experts should give suggestions and point out flaws. This will create revolution in development and assist Government and the people to build nation. The bureaucrats should be asked to come out of the status quo in which they are stuck. The country is facing devastating economic issues. These issues require support of Media to awaken the Government and the bureaucracy. Consider journalist engineers for regular reporting. The multiple economic crises for implement are:
The implementation of the Integrated Comprehensive Water Mismanagement with all its components is vitally required. It includes canal system modernization to avoid colossal wastage of water, (8 times the storage of Basha Dam), storage of floodwater that goes waste, providing missing drainage system, carry out silt control, replacing flood irrigation method, replacing endemic WARABANDI besides land reclamation to eradicate and control salinity, sodicity and water logging and so on.
The crippling multidimensional water issues that need immediate attention of the Media for inviting Government participation are;
Development of Water Resources by building mega, multipurpose Dams to store water for irrigating barren lands to meet food requirements of the rapidly growing population, control floods, and generate hydropower to remove crippling load shedding that caused about 100 billion dollars losses to the nation. Hydropower is the key to development.
Control the Super floods by building the unique, multipurpose, 35-maf of Katzarah Dam on the Indus that will generate 15,000 MW of Hydropower, store massive water for Irrigation, and effectively act as watershed management dam to control silt flow from the highly erodible soil of Skardu valley. Katzarah Dam will thus increase the life of Basha Dam from its estimated life of 80 or 90 years to about 800 years. Life of Tarbela will increase by about 50 years. The benefit would be worth at least $ 2000.
Controlling Super floods in Kabul River by building huge, multipurpose, 8.5-maf Guroh Dop Dam on Panjkora River that has an excellent capacity-inflow ratio to give long life span. Munda as proposed is a single purpose power dam on run-of-the-river. Munda Dam has negligible live storage capacity of 0.67 maf only. This negligible storage of 0.67 maf cannot control a flood discharge of 400,000 cusecs in Kabul River equal to 560 times the storage volume of Munda Dam. Chairman WAPDA wrongly stated in the daily The News dated November 27, 2010 that Munda will control floods in Kabul River to protect Nowshera.
By this date, we have lost due to silting a combine storage capacity up to about 7.0 maf in Tarbela and Mangla. This requires immediate replacement by a mega dam. Implementation of Water Accord paras 2, 4, 6, and replacement of lost storage at Tarbela and Mangla need (12.35+7+…)=19.35+… maf of water. Katzarah Dam can only meet this huge demand. Water Accord para 14(e), requires water management to save massive wastage of water in Canal Irrigation System.
The Indus River requires channelization to reduce huge losses (up to 16 maf) from the 14 miles wide riverbed between Chashma to Gddu barrage that includes theft of water. It will reclaim millions of acres of land on both sides of the riverbank for growing forest along the Indus River. Channelization would be easy after damming the Indus.
Modernization by water management of the 150 years old, endemic, wasteful, incompatible, and obsolete Canal Irrigation System in the Indus Basin will save about 50 maf of water equal to more than 8 times the storage capacity of Basha Dam or Kalabagh Dam. Neither the Media nor the Government paid attention to this endemic, wasteful system. The water issues if allowed to continue like this, will bring hunger and bloody revolutions in the near future. These economic problems are beyond the reach of provinces to finance. Therefore, Federal Government must set them right.
All natural surface drains in the country are blocked by encroachments due to negligence, as no body followed the “Canal and Drainage Act of 1887” to maintain surface drains. This has created sanitary problems. More serious is the problem, that rain and floodwater is held up for 5 months as during this flood. It also destroys cropland and damages infrastructures by flooding. It aggravates salinity, sodicity and water logging.
The Canal and Drainage Act prohibits interfering with the flow and waterways of drains, canals and river. No waterway is to be blocked or its flow altered or used. In 2010 flood, Canal and Drainage Act was violated by breaching bunds as satellite images show.
WAPDA initiated mega projects like, Kachi Canal from Mithan Kot for Baluchistan, mega Drainage Project of SCARP, and another mega Drainage Project of NDP. The three mega projects miserably failed wasting 1000 billion rupees till seventy. In spite this, no technical inquiry was conducted to know the causes of failure of these mega projects and to know their correct solution. In fact, the solution for drainage lies in providing surface and sub-surface tile drainage, practiced all over the world but ignored by WAPDA. WAPDA surprisingly installed tube wells, a wrong concept that failed to remove and control salinity and sodicity. It rather circulates it.
There are one million small tube wells installed by the farmers in the Indus Basin after the failure of drainage schemes. These tube wells are pumping 250 million tons of injurious salts into the soil each year invisibly and gradually destroying it. No one takes notice.
Similarly, WAPDA could not conceive a single “All Pakistan Grand Canal” to irrigate area in three provinces of Dera Ismail Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Kachi Plain in Baluchistan by a single gravity flow canal from Chashma. WAPDA first tried Kachi Canal from Mithan Kot, but it was abandoned for a wrong alignment. Then Kachi Canal was re-aligned from Taunsa barrage for Baluchistan. WAPDA built the Chashma Right Bank Canal for two provinces of D.I.Khan, and for Dera Ghazi Khan. Now the Chashma Right Bank Lift Canal is proposed. WAPDA tried to irrigate lands on the right Bank of the Indus in pieces for the three provinces. WAPDA failed to conceive a single high-level gravity flow canal from Chashma to Sibi and onward on a higher elevation with better command, and less than half the cost. I proposed a single gravity flow “All Pakistan Grand Canal” in 1962 but no notice was taken by the Government.
For what secret purpose rapid silting Kalabagh Dam was provided “50 days restricted mid-level sluicing hydraulic design” in the tailored TOR by WAPDA to the Project Consultant? The Hydraulic design given by WAPDA in the tailored TOR became controversial with the hydraulic design of KBD Project Consultant provided by them in the Feasibility Report. The Consultant provided long life “100 days unrestricted low-level sluicing hydraulic design”. The Consultant state in the KBD Project Report, that WAPDA design will cause rapid silting upstream of the Attock Gorge, and unacceptable backwater flow, in Kabul River. The Project’s TOR, foundation of dam, height of dam, its power generation, and earthquake intensity factor are not in agreement with the Consultant. See Feasibility Report. Moreover, silting and backwater flow, will cause sever inundation of Peshawar valley up to elevation 970 as experienced this flood season without Kalabagh Dam. It will be hell with Kalabagh Dam.
Why WAPDA unnecessarily continued to maintain 36 years long status quo at the cost of (crippling load shedding resulting in billions of dollars loss, and historic devastation by 2010 massive flood destroying 22% of most fertile area of Pakistan)? This was all because of status quo created for Kalabagh Dam.
Why the unique 35-maf Katzarah Dam, with a life span of 1000 years capable of generating 15,000 MW of environment friendly hydropower, controlling super floods in the Indus, capable of irrigating 5 million acres of barren lands, was ignored and not built in 36 years when I first discovered it in 1962. Katzarah Dam would function as water shed management Dam to prevent heavy silt flow in to Tarbela and Basha Reservoirs.
Engr Fateh Ullah Khan former Chairman IRSA discovered Katzarah Dam in 1962, and confirmed by Dr Pieter Lieftnick Head of the World Team in 1968. WAPDA avoided the construction of Katzarah Dam, waiting to build KBD. This was a crime against the nation.
Similarly, I discovered in November 1960, the multipurpose Guroh Dop Dam with 8.5 maf reservoir named Shigo Katch on Panjkora River with an annual run-off of about 3 maf. Swat River wing has also 3 maf of annual flow. The combine flow of Swat River and Panjkora River is 6 maf called Swat River. After meeting the water requirements of Lower Swat Canal System, and the Civil Canals, Guroh Dop Dam will be able to provide water to additional about 50,000 acres of land. Guroh Dop Dam will control super floods in Kabul River to protect Nowshera. It will generate 500 MW of Hydropower with a height of 450 feet of the dam. WAPDA ignored Guroh Dop dam due to ignorance, not knowing that there is a multipurpose dam about 7 to 8 miles on the upstream of Munda Dam on Panjkora River Arm of Swat River. Munda Dam is a single purpose 700 feet high power dam on Swat River Wing, and not flood control dam. Guroh Dop is cheaper than Munda. It has a life span of 1000 years due to excellent C.I. ratio and very little silt flow.
Charlatans in WAPDA have declared Munda Dam as flood control dam for lack of knowledge, and ignored Guroh Dop Dam for lack of investigations. This is a massive blunder. Therefore, avoid Munda and build the multipurpose Guroh Dop Dam. Guroh Dop dam for its massive reservoir of 8.5 maf is far better than Munda Dam with a reservoir capacity of 0.67 maf. Munda has no storage capacity to control floods. Munda is on run-of-the-river.
WAPDA is committing fantastic blunder not to build Guroh Dop Dam. It has already committed blunder for 36 years for not building any dam although Tarbela and Mangla are silted up by 7.0 maf?
Why is it that WAPDA ignored the unique 35-maf Katzarah Dam and the multipurpose 8.5 maf Guroh Dop Dam when I discovered these dame sites since for the past about 50 years? Had these dams were built before, there would have been no devastating losses in billions of dollars from 2010 floods and no crippling load shedding?.
During 1959, I discovered a spectacular dam site at Khajuri Katch in (Dozakh Tangi or valley of hell) on Gomal River in South Waziristan Agency. Gomal River is notorious for super floods and destruction of the three districts by floodwater. On posting as Project Director Gomal Zam Dam in 1959, I discovered Khajuri Katch Dam site and started investigation for construction of the dam at new site, 30 miles downstream of old site on Gomal River. The work in progress at the old site at Gul Katch on Gomal River was stopped after Rs 2 crores were already spent by the department on a wrong dam site. It will be shocking to know that WAPDA completed Gomal Dam at new site after 50 years after I initiated it, just before 2010 floods. It will further be surprising to know that three districts of Tank, Kulachi and DIKhan that used to be destroyed by the floods of Gomal River are safe this year due to the construction of Gomal Dam and the creation of its huge reservoir at Adam Kok. The benefits of two stages of dam (before construction and after construction are before the nation to see the difference.
There is a dire need to provide “Land Drainage System” a vital component of Irrigation but is missing for more than a century. Natural surface drains have also disappeared due to encroachments. Healthy agriculture requires land drainage by providing surface and sub-surface tile drainage to reclaim 60% of land affected by salinity, sodicity and water logging to various degrees. This will increase crop yield many times. It will also improve quality of grains, and fruits. The fragrance of flower would be improved and flowers exported.
For setting right the multi-dimensional water crisis, “Integrated comprehensive water management” shall have to be carried out true to its technical definition. (The definition by ADB and World Bank includes various integrating components).
A 40 years ban on forest cutting must be imposed. Timber may be imported free of all duties. Forest must be grown in a reach of 100 Km of the mountains on both sides of Tarbela Lake, as water is closely available.
It should have been foreseen that all purpose Karakoram Highway fit for dam construction carrying material should have been aligned and build at a higher elevation than the proposed Lake elevation of Katzarah Dam, Basha Dam, Dasu and Bunji Dam on the Indus River. This is unavoidable and is part of dam infrastructure. Indus is the only river where a numbers of mega dams can be built. We may create Indus Valley Authority for series of dams like as Tennessee Valley Authority.
