Pakistan Engineering Congress: Papers By Fateh Ullah Khan

1. Paper 87: Correction Factor for Evaluation of Discharge by Manning Formula in Bridge Design By Fateh Ullah Khan

2. Paper 237: Water Crisis in Pakistan and Solutions. Author: Engr. Fateh Ullah Khan

3. Paper 615: PROBLEMS OF IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE, NEED REMOVAL OF EFFICIENTLY USE WATER OF INDUS RIVER SYSTEM. AUTHOR: FATEH ULLAH KHAN

Annulment of Rent Restriction Act, as it is Un-Islamic and unconstitutional

The blasphemous Rent Restriction Act be brought in conformity with the injunctions of Islam as it specifically violates verse

(2:282) of the Holy Quran, and the  specific provision of Article 227 of the Constitution.

The Holy Quran is the Supreme Divine Constitution for humankind to obey. It is binding on Muslims.

The Rent Restriction Act (RRA) is aggressively un-Islamic, as it violates 21 verses of the Holy Quran including the specific verse (2:282) relating to the mutually agreed Rent Deed Contract Agreement. RRA violates and over rides verses (2-43-110-188-198-267), (5:1-8-13-42-47-49), (9:8-12-13) (13: 20-25) (16:91), (23:8) (49:9) of the Holy Quran. The Act is blasphemous and its  enactment, support and implementation is highly sinful.  

Similarly, the Rent Restriction Act (RRA) violates 9 basic articles of the Constitution of Pakistan including article 227. The articles violated by the Act are 3,4,8,17,18,23,25 and 38. The RRA therefore violates both, the Holy Quran, and the Constitution. This is horrible, un-Islamic, unconstitutional, culpable and a black spot on the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. It needs immediate annulment.

The bad law is un-noticed by the Senate and the National Assembly. It requires immediate rectification to be just and equitable. The relevant committees in both the houses should have deleted the repugnant, un-Islamic and unconstitutional  RRA.

It is surprising that the mutually agreed rent deed agreement and all its terms and conditions are violated by the RRA. The terms and conditions of the agreement must be implemented as the Holy Quran guides. The mutually signed agreement must be binding on both parties. The RRA boldly violates it. The RRA is therefore un-Islamic, unjust, and inequitable as it violates the Quran and numerous articles of the Constitution.        

The RRA be declared null and void. The Federal Government and the Provincial Governments may be directed to bring RRA in conformity with the injunctions of Islam, and the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. RRA is a provincial act.

The Constitution of Pakistan and the Holy Quran show RRA is highly unreasonable, unjust as it violates and over rides the mutually agreed terms and conditions of the Contract Agreement. The Rent Restriction Act violates the Holy verse (2:282) of the Holy Quran and article 227 of the Constitution.

The RRA is inequitable and partial as it is totally in favor of the tenant. This is because the RRA renders the mutually agreed contract agreement inefficacious, ineffective, as it is restrictive and one-sided. The RRA is regressive, anti-development and anti-revenue as it also restricts revenue as property tax and income tax to the Government that is spent by the Government in  general public interest of the urban area by providing civic facilities.

The RRA is unjust and unreasonable as it gives inherent rights to the tenant over the property of the investors to possess it indefinitely, and on the death of the tenant, the possession of the property and the tenancy rights are transferred to his son, and wife and so on for generations as like in inheritance from ancestors.

The RRA restricts trade and business of real estate and sale and purchase of urban rented property. It restricts the sale, as possession of property is not handed-over to the owner in the event of sale. This reduces the value of the property by half, as no body purchases the occupied property. The buyer wants its vacant possession.

The RRA is highly litigating and crimes generating as it is unjust and unreasonable. There are 35% rent cases in the courts. In some cases, it takes more than 30 years to decide. Lacs of rupees are spent on litigations besides wasting time in years. It creates law and order problems.

The RRA gives parasitic possession of the property to the tenant, as even on the termination of the contract period, the property is not vacated, new or fresh agreement is not signed, there-by violating the mutually agreed contract agreement. All over the world, the rented property is vacated exactly at the end of the contract date and renewed only with mutual consent.  

RRA restricts rent and does not allow the reasonable prevailing market price. This restriction shows favor to the rich tenants. The restriction of rent is not in general public interest. It is entirely in the interest of the tenant at the cost of others. RRA restricts urban development by restricting provincial and Federal Government revenues that is spent on providing urban facilities of drinking water, street lights, sanitation, public libraries, epidemic control, vaccinations, malaria eradication campaign, traffic control facilities, bus stand, transport facilities etc.

The terms and conditions of the mutually signed contract agreement is vital lawful document, but it has no legal value, as it is over-ridden by the RRA. This is not only funny, but violates fundamental rights of the investor. This is unjust and partial besides un-Islamic and unconstitutional. It is against the law of contract and written undertaking as the Holy verse (2:282) reveals.

The investment in urban property by the investor is in general public interest, as it provides facilities for trade and business to the general public to earn living. It provides commercial and residential facilities to the general public. But the continued possession of the urban property for decades by the tenant turn it into slums as the tenants never vacate the property for improvement, reconstruction and for raising plazas that would fetch huge revenue to the Governments and provide great commercial, trading and residential facilities to the general public. Construction activities would provide great job opportunities and the building material factories would flourish.

 The owner has no control over his property and cannot enjoy it. This is in violation of the Constitution and his fundamental rights.  

The mutually Rent Deed Agreement and its terms and conditions is a vital lawful document/contract prepared in line with the Holy verse (2:282) of the Quran. It is duly signed by two witnesses. Therefore, the RRA should not be allowed to defy the Holy Quran and the mutually agreed contract agreement. The RRA should not be allowed to override the agreement, ignore the teachings of the Holy Quran and the provisions of the Constitution.

 Rendering the agreement useless by RRA, unduly favors the rich tenants, like traders, business men, store owners, shopkeepers, Government organizations, offices hired by diplomats, private schools, clinics and by rich companies.

The provisions in RRA are mischievous as it is a domineering law. It overrides the mutually agreed contract agreement and its terms and conditions. It is therefore unjust, one-sided, unreasonable, inequitable, intrusive and against general public interest. The RRA urgently needs to be scrapped and a new equitable and just law be prepared to strictly follow the verse (2:282) of the Holy Quran and article 227 of the constitution.

There are no restrictions on any other trade or business and on all other items of daily use except on the rent of the urban property. The tenant is in continued possession of the property. This is cruel as it is in violation of the many provisions of the Constitution. The RRA is anti-development, unproductive, dispute creating law, therefore local and foreign investment is restricted in this business.

The RRA encroaches on the fundamental rights of the investor. RRA violates articles 3 and 4 of the Constitution that gives inalienable rights to all citizens and no action detrimental to person or property of any person shall be taken that violates his fundamental rights.

The RRA has restricted the owner’s rights, as he cannot exercise the right to use his property in any manner that the owner chooses. The Constitution gives rights to the owner to enjoy his property but the RRA violates all provisions of the Constitution besides violating the Holy Quran.

The article 17 (2) requires the court to apply the principles of reasons and justice but RRA is not based on reasons and justice. Contrary to all this, the RRA unjustly supports the tenant in violating the terms and conditions of the mutually agreed contract agreement signed in the presence of two witnesses. This ugly violation needs to be set right and the blasphemous RRA declared void.

 In view of article 18, restrictions by RRA are unreasonable and unjust in the lawful trade and business of urban property. The article 23 of the Constitution allows the right to acquire and dispose off property. RRA violates this provision of the Constitution.

In the business of renting property, the interest of five parties are involved. These are the investor, the tenant, the provincial Government, the Federal Government and the general public interest. The RRA favors only the tenant at the cost of all others. On papers, the investor is the owner of property but at site, the tenant is physically the owner of the property for indefinite time.

Suggestions for modified, equitable, reasonable and just Rent Act in general urban public interest and in agreement with the Holy verse (2:282) of the Holy Quran

The Rent Restriction Act should be modified, and brought in conformity with the injunctions of the Quran, and the provisions of the Constitution. The law must be urban development oriented in general public interest and not in the interest of the tenant alone.   

Tenants never pay rent in time. The tenant pesters the investor. Therefore, tenants who do not pay rent by the 5^th of each month (latest) be fined. In case of delay, a penalty of 10% of monthly rent be imposed as in case of Government departments of Gas, Electricity and Telephone. The tenant should stand ejected if he repeatedly delays monthly payment before the 5^th of each month.

Tenants should automatically stand ejected if they do not pay rent for one month.

The terms and conditions of the mutually agreed contract agreement must not be allowed to be overridden by the Rent Act. The agreement and its terms and conditions must be binding on both sides under the law and as revealed by the Holy Quran so that disputes in future do not arise. All disputes must be settled according to the mutually agreed Rent deed agreement and its terms and conditions.

The date of vacation of the property that is the Contract termination date as provided in the terms and conditions of the contract agreement must be implemented. Its violations should be made punishable.

The property should be vacated with in two months if the owner wants to sell it so as to fetch market price. In this way, the real-estate business would flourish and the Government would get huge revenue as registration/transfer fee, property tax and income tax. Business would flourish. This will give boost to plazas construction and to the building material industries, and supply of construction materials would flourish. Jobs would be created.

Rent fixation should be subject to market price so that real estate business should flourish, as this will increase the Government revenue and benefit the general urban public, as they will get greater, better, modern trading and businesses facilities besides creating jobs to earn living.

All rent cases must be decided by a body with in one month. Both the owner and the tenant or their legal advisors should be present with documents. The case be decided in two sittings or earlier. The law should be made simple, just and equitable. A fee of Rs 10,000/- be deposited by the tenant and the owner of property in Government treasury for services rendered by the Government to the owner of the property and to the tenant in deciding the case. The defaulter must pay this money to the other party to bear the cost.

The blasphemous RRA may be annulled. It should be replaced, simplified, and brought in conformity with the injunctions of Islam to follow the Holy verse (2”282) of the Holy Quran as article 227 of the constitution of Pakistan provides.

It is a great sin to implement and support un-Islamic, blasphemous RRA in Islamic country. It must be noted that the Holy Quran, the Word of God, is Supreme Law for humankind to obey. The man-made RRA must be brought in conformity with the Injunctions of Islam. No law shall be enacted which is repugnant to Quranic Injunctions as the Constitution provides in article 227.

Kalabagh Dam

Kalabagh is highly controversial dam. Its long controversy has destroyed the nation and prevented water resources development. It is the most haunted dam. It is ritually demanded without knowing its technical flaws.

It will be surprising to know that Kalabagh is NOT a flood control dam as it will be on run-of-the-river for 50 flood days according to its hydraulic design.

WAPDA has given a very wrong Terms of Reference to the Kalabagh Project Consultants. How can the client fix the design criteria before the preparation of feasibility report? How can it force its requirements on a site incapable of it? How can the client dictate technical instructions to the Consultants? As a result of wrong TOR, the consultants have pointed out some very serious flaws but WAPDA did not agree to the Consultants recommendations. The Consultants had to follow the tailored TOR as quoted below;

“Basically the design criteria were set during the initial appraisal of scheme and development out line design. These were based on the requirements of the client through the terms of reference or subsequent instructions”

Binni and Partners Project Consultants did not agree to the dictated hydraulic design of “Restricted mid-level sluicing hydraulic design” on the grounds, that silt will not be evacuated out of the reservoir and that there will be unacceptable backwater flow in Kabul River.

Contrary to this, the Consultants recommended “Unrestricted low-level sluicing hydraulic design” to allow floodwater to pass for 100 days instead of 50 days as instructed by WAPDA. Unfortunately, WAPDA did not agree to the Project Consultant’s recommendations.

The Consultants have pointed out that Kalabagh Dam’s foundation is weak, therefore a hydraulic structure more than 160 feet cannot be raised at the dam site. On the contrary, WAPDA instructed the Consultants to raise the structure to 260 feet to store 9.5 maf gross storage.

Dam structure is designed for earthquake of intensity of 7 on Rector scale but an earthquake of 8.4 intensity has already occurred.

Because of the restricted mid-level sluicing hydraulic design, the reservoir will almost be on run-of-the-river for about 4 monsoon months a year. Therefore, its power generation is restricted to 1450 MW. WAPDA therefore instructed the Consultants to provide 2000 MW of Thermal Power Plant attached to the dam to support its hydropower.

As Kalabagh Dam will be on run-of-the-river for about 4 monsoon months a year to allow floodwater to pass through, therefore Kalabagh is NOT a flood control dam.

Backwater flow and heading up upstream of the Attock gorge, will deposit silt upstream of the Gorge. This will further raise the bed of the Indus and will create havoc in Peshawar valley. Recent floods have practically demonstrated that Nowshera and other areas were almost submerged by floodwater. On GT road near Nowshera town about 12 to 14 feet depth of floodwater was flowing. The KBD Project Consultants have reported that floodwater elevation in 1929 was 941. In 1841, they have shown that floodwater level reached up to 1975. This year I estimate it may be about 970. Imagine what would have been the situation if there was 260 feet high Kalabagh Dam across the Indus. This would have raised the water surface level of the Indus to a very dangerous level. The valley upstream of the Attock gorge would be subjected to heavy silting that would cause sever backwater flow. The Consultants have indicated this fact in the Feasibility report. I quote few excerpts from the feasibility report as below;

“In principle there is no specific mode of operation that must be adhered to each year in order to sluice sediment from Kalabagh Reservoir but the lower the drawdown level, the lower this level is maintained and the higher the flows then the more effective the sluicing will be”.

The Consultants suggests unrestricted low-level sluicing as in a barrage. They virtually suggested a barrage but there is lack of understanding because of the wrong TOR. Few more excerpts are;

The high sediment load carried by the Indus at Kalabagh has an important bearing on the design of Kalabagh and on the operation rules for the reservoir. If a high proportion of sediment is trapped the storage volume would rapidly reduce with the loss of irrigation benefits derived from storage. Such sedimentation could eventually also cause unacceptable backwater effects”.

This excerpt shows the design has an important bearing on the dam to which WAPDA did not agree. The Consultant shows high sediment deposition will take place. They further show loss of storage due to rapid silting and loss of irrigation benefits. Moreover, they say it will cause sever backwater flow in Peshawar valley that would destroy it.

“Upstream of Attock gorge the flood level are sensitive to the amount of sediment so that flood vrisk will increase with time”. This excerpt show Kalabagh Dam is not a flood control dam.

“In the long run the generation of power will be on run-of-of-river”

This excerpt shows Kalabagh Dam is neither flood control nor irrigation dam but would only produce low power on run-of-the-river. This is the reason to install 2000 MW of Thermal power plant to the dam.

“No immediate solution for sediment management seems to be practically viable”.  

After the construction of Kalabagh Dam, the sub-soil flow in Peshawar valley will also stop and start heading up vertically to the surface, as the dam will block its horizontal sub-soil flow. This will cause rise in water table in the whole Peshawar valley.

The Kalabagh, Munda and Akhori dams said to be flood control are NOT flood control. The Ministry and WAPDA are unaware of the real flood control dams. I pointed out the multipurpose flood control dams at Katzarah and at Guroh Dop since 1962 in a Master Plan. I repeated the merits of these dams dozens of times but no body cared. The consequences of massive floods are now before the nation in the shape of billions of dollars losses. Most of the infrastructure is destroyed, about 3 crores population is affected, thousands of people are killed, thousands of villages are washed off, cities are damaged. It is estimated we have gone 50 year back. The flood is worse than 2004 tsunami as the UN said. It is far more devastating than the earthquake of 2005. It will be very difficult to recover. What to speak of building flood control dams, recovery will be hard to achieve. The Government must therefore think very seriously what to do. Flood mitigation dams must carefully be identified. Please read my reports and do what is right.

Excellent, feasible, noncontroversial, cheap Alternative to Kalabagh Dam

There is no doubt that highly publicized Kalabagh Dam is technically infeasible due to its TOR given to the Kalabagh Project Consultant besides being politically controversial. The Government is asking for creating consensus of politicians but I say it is NOT the question of consensus. It is purely a highly technical matter beyond the understanding of politicians. Better study the feasibility report prepared by the project consultants themselves. It is they, who have pointed out design flaws and it is the TOR that went wrong in dictating wrong design to the consultants to adopt.

In order to satisfy political ego and to locate safe project in this very vicinity, I suggest to build low–dam-cum-barrage on run-of the-Indus river about 5 miles upstream of Kalabagh Dam site. This structure will produce 2000 to 4500 MW of power, store about 2.5 maf of water to be repeatedly filled 2 to 4 times due to its unique location where about 90 maf water passes during the year. The storage reservoir would be confined to the Indus River valley. It therefore involves no land acquisition, no land compensation and no controversy. The high barrage storage will act as “balancing Reservoir” for Tarbela and Basha dams when more power generation is required and extra water is to be released. This extra water will be arrested for storage and not wasted to sea. The location of the newly proposed structure is about 4 to 5 miles upstream of the Kalabagh Dam site on the Indus. Kalabagh is located downstream of the confluence of the Indus River and Soan River.    

India diverting Water and Power from occupied Kashmir to Rajasthan to dry Pakistan

India creating millions of acre feet of live storage on six rivers in violation of IWT to deprive Pakistan of water for Rabi and early Kharif crops. Pakistan will be deprived of about 10 maf of dead storage and about 15 maf of live storage by the year 2016 on completion of network of dams on six rivers.

Water is life-saving natural resource but is used by India as Weapon of mass Destruction because of wrong partition of India

Unjust partition of India by the British created Kashmir dispute and water issues that may lead to nuclear conflict in South Asia

India is building dozens of dams on each river specially on Chinab and Jehlum,  diverting millions of acre feet of dead storage and live storage from occupied Kashmir to Rajasthan besides hydropower. This is violation of IWT. The Indus Waters Treaty provides generation of hydropower on run-of-the-river with no or nominal live storage. It does not allow to build 827 feet high Barsar Dam to create huge dead and live storage. India is building substantial cumulative dead and live storage to run Pakistan dry and deprive it of Rabi and Kharif crops.

Over and above, India is drawing seepage water of rivers as groundwater through tube wells that is actually the perennial river flow. This reduces perennial flow to Pakistan. Chinab River flow has dropped from 21 maf to 14 maf after the construction of Baglihar Dam. It shows 7 maf of water disappeared from Chinab so far.

Indian intension is not to allow a drop of water from Chinab and Jehlum rivers go down to Pakistan during the keen demand period for Rabi and early Kharif crops. India is bent upon turning the land of five sparkling, live rivers into the land of dead rivers.

India is building hundreds of very high (827 feet, 475 feet …) to medium and small sized dams on the Indus, the Jehlum, Chinab, Ravi, Sutlege and Bias rivers including their tributaries in occupied Kashmir. This will stop perennial flow of water to Pakistan for a period of about 6 to 7 winter months. India plans to convert the world’s largest contiguous canal irrigation system into desert. This is blatant violation of the IWT and the international laws on water rights of lower riparian.

India plans to build a network of dams on six rivers inter-connecting their perennial flows with in the catchment area of occupied Kashmir using the full slope potential of each river. The network plan will be completed by 2016. By then, it will completely cut-off Rabi and early Kharif water supplies to Pakistan that it inherits since 2600 BC. The perennial storage water would be diverted to Rajistan. Partition of India cannot snatch water rights. The boundary line has to be re-drawn if nuclear war is to be avoided.

Tarbela and Mangla have silted up by 6 maf. This lost replacement storage requires to be replenished under the Treaty as Pakistan gave perennial flow of the three Eastern rivers to India and got in exchange perennial stored water. This stored water needs to be replenished perennially after its silting up.

India misuses the natural water resource as weapon of mass destruction, to covert Pakistan into desert, and to subject 200 million of population to sever famine and hunger.

Britain is responsible for wrong partition of the sub-continent. It enabled India to destroy Pakistan by using water as a weapon of destruction. Britain is responsible for genocide by Indian Army in occupied Kashmir. Britain will also be responsible for subjecting 200 million Pakistani to die of famine and hunger. Britain will be responsible for food riots as Pakistan, its tribal areas of FATA and Afghanistan will face famine. This will make the sub-continent the centre of terror activities. The whole sub-continent may fall to terrorism. May be the situation ultimately leads to nuclear war. Let us prevent all this horror.

Britain handed over all the canal head works to India along with the occupied Kashmir the source of origin of the six rivers and the Muslim majority area. This is great injustice. It has sown the seed of nuclear war. Britain subjected the lives of 1.4 billion people to the risk of nuclear war because of its Divide and Rule Policy. Nuclear war is hanging on the sub-continent as the sword of Damocles.

In view of all above, the British Government may be requested to re-demarcate the boundary line with the active diplomatic support of USA, UN and the world nations keeping in view the UN 60 years old resolution on Kashmir. The earth cannot face dangerous radioactive environment as a result of nuclear war. Let human being on earth use conscience and avoid war. Let they settle problems through UN. The UN should do justice so that war is avoided.

Therefore, water issues and Kashmir dispute do not only concern Pakistan and India but the whole world. India may show graciousness to vacate occupied Kashmir the Muslim majority area in exchange for the State of Hyderabad Daccan, the State of Junagarh and Manawadar- Hindu majority areas but acceded to Pakistan.

A nuclear war in the sub-continent should send shivers around the world as it would damage the whole environment on earth. After all, it is not only a matter about the destruction of the sub-continent but of the whole earth itself.

Nuclear radiation would cause radioactive rains, land under crop would become radioactive, sources of drinking water would become radioactive, and weather would change drastically. It would cause rapid depletion of ozone layer. All life form would cease to exist, as there would be no photosynthesis. Radioactivity would bring genetic changes in all living creatures including human beings after many decades. It would cause genetic abnormalities.  

India did not settle Kashmir dispute according to UN resolution for the past 60 years. India is boldly violating IWT. India uses water as the weapon of mass destruction. India that wears the garb of democracy killed hundred thousands of Kashmiri. India is now planning to kill 200 million Pakistani by stopping perennial water for Rabi and early Kharif causing famine and hunger. India should not force Pakistan to become nuclear suicide bomber. I pray good sense prevails so that human misery ends.                     

Change of site of Gomal Zam Dam from Gul Katch to KhajuriKatch

It is a rare case where change of dam site from Gul Katch to Khajuri Katch during its construction is involved because of wrong dam site selection. About Rs 20 million were spent on a wrong dam site at Gul Katch till 1959. I changed the dam site from Gul Katch to Khajuri Katch when I was appointed its Project Director. I abandoned the Gul Katch Dam site. Time and money was wasted.

Gomal Zam is a flash flood river that damages crops, property, infrastructures and forms ravines due to soil erosion. Gomal Zam has a long history to control its floods and use its water for the development of backward and desert-like area. Due to WAPDA’s inefficiency, it has taken a very long time to complete it.

The control of Gomal Zam flood waters going waste and causing heavy land erosion and ravine formations was originally conceived in 1850. However, construction work began on the dam in 1956. The dam site at Gul Katch was close to Afghanistan’s border. The dam site was selected by the provincial irrigation department and was found very wrong from all aspects. The storage in Gul Katch dam depended only on 25 per cent of the catchment area of the Gomal Zam watershed, ignoring the 75 per cent of the area, having a discharge of 80 per cent, which is contributed by the Gomal River’s major tributary, the Zhob River that lies in Balochistan.

The storage of the Gomal Zam Dam does not depend on water from Afghanistan. There is no dam and reservoir site in Afghanistan nor enough water is available for storage. Therefore, there is no possibility of building a dam on the Gomal River in Afghanistan as wrongly assumed by the NGOs. The Zhob River joins the Gomal River upstream of the Khajuri Katch dam site to store water in Adam Kok reservoir. The Zhob River water is the major source for storage at the Khajuri Katch.

About Rs20 million were spent till 1958-59 on a wrong dam site at the Gul Katch on the Gomal Zam due to the lack of investigations and planning. In 1959-60, the Gomal Zam project was taken over by Wapda from the irrigation department for early completion. Simultaneously, irrigation department sent me to WAPDA who posted me as the Project Director, Gomal Zam. I was directed to complete the dam at Gul Katch where the work was in full swing.

However, I reviewed the project-planning concept of Gomal Zam Dam afresh, and found in my desk studies, an excellent dam site with an extremely narrow gorge at Khajuri Katch that is something rare but was ignored. This site is on the downstream of the confluence of the Zhob River, the major tributary of the Gomal River, with a very large flow. Fortunately the reservoir of the Khajuri Katch, named Adam Kok reservoir on the upstream has the world’s excellent and rare capacity-inflow ratio that gives a life span of more than 150 years. The increase in the height of the dam will further increase its life span by another 100 years. Therefore, its life-span is not 30 or 40 years as wrongly assumed by the two NGOs. The new Khajuri Katch dam site is 30 miles downstream of the old Gul Katch site.

After completing the studies, I prepared a pre-feasibility report for the newly discovered site to achieve optimum development. After that I decided to visit the new dam site for conducting site investigations. The dam site is in the most dangerous tribal area where no official has ever gone before. It is virtually no man’s land. At the dam and reservoir site, I confirmed my own basic findings on the ground on which the pre-feasibility report was prepared from the GTS sheets.

In view of this, I stopped the wasteful construction work going on at the Gul Katch dam site in 1959. I then sent the feasibility report on the Khajuri Katch dam site to the then Chairman Wapda, Ghulam Farooque for his information and decision. The pre-feasibility report on the new dam site was jointly studied by the Harza International Consultants of the US and the Energo-project of Yugoslavia. Both were Wapda’s top consultants. The Chairman along with the teams of the above two firms visited the newly discovered dam site. The Harza Consultants reported to Wapda: “We have more than 30 years of dams construction experience throughout the world but we have never seen such a spectacular dam and reservoir site as pointed out by Engr Fatehullah Khan.” Similarly, the Energo-project consultants reported: “The project planning done by Engr Fatehullah Khan for the Gomal Zam dam at Khajuri Katch is excellent and we cannot further improve on it.”

Appreciating my discovery, Ghulam Farooque ordered to build my statue at the Khajuri Katch dam site in recognition of the discovery of the new dam site with unique features. A great national loss was avoided due to the wrongly planned project at the wrong site. Moreover, I further pointed out a unique aspect of the dam, its huge reservoir located in an absolutely barren and desolate tribal area where there is no sign of habitation in need of compensation. As there is no population displacement or any structure coming under water that needs compensation therefore its cost is very low. Moreover, the huge reservoir provided an excellent capacity inflow ratio that would prolong the life of the reservoir, indefinitely.

The Gomal Zam dam at Khajuri Katch has absolutely no adverse environmental impact and no socio-economic problems as wrongly assumed by the NGOs. The project has all conceivable benefits of multiple nature with no adverse effect in any form. This is a unique feature of this project. The Gomal Zam dam will convert the desert-like area into green field and also raise afforestation to attract more rainfall. It will create oasis in the desert.

The NGOs would be surprised to know that the Khajuri Katch valley where the dam is to be built is called “Dozagh Tangi” i.e. the valley of hell. After the Khajuri Katch dam on Gomal Zam, the valley of hell will turn into a valley of paradise. Moreover, due to the extremely narrow gorge, and a vast reservoir the cost of the project becomes very low as compared to its multiple benefits. The construction of the 52 years’ old running Gomal Zam project in hand is justified even for a single purpose of either to control floods, or perform irrigation of the huge barren area. The hydropower generation and the stoppage of land erosion and the control of floods to avoid damages are its by-products benefits. The NGOs have wrongly opposed the construction of the dam, wrongly presuming that it is being built only for power generation of 17.4 MW. They have ignored its vast irrigation potential of irrigating 160,000 acres of barren lands and its 100 per cent flood control aspect of the Gomal Zam dam. They have not assessed the stoppage of land erosion of 3500 acres yearly and the colossal flood damages. It clearly proves that the NGOs are creating confusion and spreading all sorts of incorrect and conflicting information to sabotage a unique project that is the source of green revolution and the source of poverty alleviation for the poor people and the means to revive a desolate area. This project will bring revolutionary changes in improving the overall condition of the area. The opposition to such project shows the Sungi and the action Aid are not working in social sector but in a sector to crush the poor and the deprived people and are working against human rights and poverty alleviation.

This project is a feather in the cap of President Pervaiz Musharraf who inaugurated its construction on 22 August 2001 that was long due since 1850. Unfortunately, Wapda and the government of NWFP never bothered to invite the discoverer of Khajuri Katch dam, a lifetime dream of an engineer seeing its project to be implemented. This is a country of unsung heroes.

The matter is serious as water shortage is ruining the country, and the people opposing excellent storage all over the country in violation of the Water Accord should be taken note of. All the above facts of the dam site are confirmed in the project’s feasibility reports conducted by foreign consultants. In view of all this, the survey conclusions drawn by the NGOs are wrong. Again, it is shocking that the two NGOs are ignorant about the provisions of Water Accord while making wrong and misleading conclusions. The para 10 of the Water Accord specifically provides to build the Gomal Zam dam and other dams to store water going waste in the respective districts of D.I. Khan, Bannu and Kohat as the water of the local rivers in these districts are allocated to the local areas of the NWFP as its share. Therefore, it does not involve sharing of water between the provinces or create any complexities as wrongly assumed. These are local rivers with flash floods and their water is not on national pool but exclusively allocated to the NWFP as per para 10 of the Water Accord. There are no restrictions on developing irrigation in the Gomal, Kurram and Kohat basins. The question of dispute for sharing this water does not arise.

The annual average flow of Indus River is 142maf. The Gomal Zam dam will only store 0.45 maf of water locally. The water will be used according to the Riwage-Abpashi on priority basis as envisaged in the project report. The water rights will never be affected. The Water Accord paras 4,6,10 & 14 (e) of part-I and part-V of part-II clearly provide the construction of the Gomal Zam dam under the IRSA Act.

The opposition to the Gomal Zam dam with imaginary and wrong conclusions show that somebody wants to destroy this country economically by not developing its land and water resources through the construction of dams. Opposition to feasible dams anywhere is violation of the Water Accord and IRSA Act. As a matter of fact, construction of dams to store surplus water going waste is the only solution to remove water scarcity, solve provincial disputes and bring prosperity. The Water Accord under para 6 provides to build storage wherever possible to develop irrigated agriculture. A river must have storage dams equal to its annual runoff. Storage dams are necessary to build the economy, alleviate poverty, create jobs and eliminate terrorism and to emerge as a strong nation.

Likewise, the Pakistani three gorges dam discovered by me in 1962 on the Indus at “Katzarah” 20 miles down stream of Skardu, storing 35maf of almost silt free water during the monsoon, generating 15000 MW of power with 1000 years life-span is yet another unique, and one of the largest storage reservoir in the world. It needs immediate construction to overcome many problems.

Surprisingly, this mega project is not yet brought to the notice of the President in spite of great needs and bitter storage controversy and in spite of my detailed reports sent to all concerned and various ministries, including the office of the Chief Executive and to the GHQ, besides the chief of planning division and to the press.

The solution to sound land, water and power development for irrigated agriculture lies in excellent governance at the policy and decisionmaking level by the very competent water resources engineers under the direct patronage of the President. It is the only hope to develop water resources on right lines. The conclusions made by the Sungi and the Action Aid NGOs on highly technical subject about the unique Gomal Zam dam show nothing but a great ignorance.

Engr Fateh ullah Khan

Former Project Director Gomal Zam Project and

Discoverer of Khajuri Katch Dam site

KBD would have caused more flooding - Daily Times 12th Aug 2010

KBD would have caused more flooding: expert - Daily Times 12th Aug, 2010

KBD would have caused more flooding: expert

* Former IRSA chief says dam is not a flood-control project

* ANP says dam would have done immense harm to KP, Sindh

By Iqbal Khattak

PESHAWAR: The Kalabagh Dam – had it been built – would have caused flooding rather than averting it, a former chairman of the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) said on Wednesday, while responding to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s recent statement about the dam.

“The dam’s effect on floods would have been contrary to what the prime minister claimed,” said Fatehullah Khan Gandapur, who headed IRSA from 1993 to 1998.

The KP leadership has criticised the PM’s statement, and Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain termed the project “a dead horse”. “Kalabagh dam is not a flood-control project,” Gandapur said while talking to Daily Times on Wednesday. “It is a run-of-the-river project and its design has to be changed if we want to make it a flood-control project,” he said.

Gandapur said the dam’s construction would have caused reverse flow in the Kabul River, submerging Nowshera district and water-logging the entire Peshawar valley. “Consultants have called the dam’s design a failure,” he said.

The Awami National Party is in no mood to compromise on its position over the dam. “Their (pro-dam elements) philosophy is to let the whole of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa drown,” senior ANP leader Senator Haji Adeel said. “Why doesn’t Islamabad look at other feasible projects instead of only eyeing the Kalabagh Dam, which aims to destroy two provinces?” he asked. “There are other projects that, if undertaken, will help you avoid flood and destruction,” he said. “Had the Kalabagh Dam been built, it would have sunk Akora Khattak and Jehangira towns in Nowshera district and its effects would also have been felt in Pabbi town,” Adeel said.

“Why don’t you build dams from where the water is coming?” he asked, adding that Basha Dam would be able to store 800,000 cusecs and Munda Dam 300,000 cusecs of water.

Katzarah Dam Site Marked On Google Map

India’s water steeling strategy to convert Pakistan into desert

The actual data on dams, either built, or to be built is with India. India would never disclose this information for fear of violation of the Indus Waters Treaty, as that would be a documentary proof against India for violation of the Treaty.

The Government of Pakistan should get this information through the agencies. Besides this, the Government of Pakistan, under the provision of the Treaty can officially demand the relevant data from India on all dams built on all rivers. They can further ask where this huge storage water created in occupied Kashmir would be used besides the hydropower.

The waters of six rivers originating in occupied Kashmir, is diverted to Rajisthan to feed the Indra Gandhi Canal System. This is shear violation of the Indus Waters Treaty.

India is building dams in occupied Kashmir since for the passed more than 40 years. The flow of Eastern Rivers during the Rabi and early Kharif crops would be drastically reduced. Similarly, the flow of Chinab River and then Jhelum River is badly affected. The situation would be most serious by the year 2016 when India would build and complete the network of inter-connecting dams on six rivers. India would never give relevant information to Pakistan at all.     

However, rough indications calculated by me from “the rivers flow data compiled by IRSA” show shortages on the (Western Rivers plus the Eastern Rivers) as roughly about 50.473 maf. This shortage includes partly due to whether conditions and specifically due to the building of dozens of dams on six rivers and their tributaries. This proves India is steeling water to irrigate ten million acres of land. Such a vast area is not available in Kashmir. The water and power is used for irrigation in Rajithan.   

The Treaty allows India to build dams only to generate hydropower. This means the dam should only create dead storage with nominal live storage. A 2.85 maf of live storage is allowed on the Western Rivers and 1.34 maf on the eastern rivers. More live storage than 4.19 maf is violation of IWT.

Against this, the cumulative loss of water on six rivers is 50.473 maf as indirectly worked out by me from the river flow data collected by IRSA. The specific loss of water on the three Eastern Rivers is about 11.251 maf after the construction of 476 feet high Baglihar Dam on Chinab River.

The loss of water on the Western Rivers is 39.222 maf. The total loss of water comes to 39.222+11.251 = 50.473 maf. India is building Barsar Dam on Chinab River that is the tallest dam with a height of 829 feet that is about twice the height of Tarbela dam (450 feet). It will store a lot of live and dead storage on Chinab River. India should officially be asked to give its data.

It is learned from an occupied Kashmiri citizen that India is building a 48 Km long diversion tunnel on the Indus near Kargil to divert the flow and change the course of the Indus River to feed the network of dams interlinking with one another so that the natural resources of water and power from occupied Kashmir is used in Indian territory.  This leads further confirmation.

India is building a 22 Km long tunnel for Neelum Jhelum Project to divert water for Kishan Ganga power project that threatens Pakistan’s 930 MW Neelum Jhelum Project. India is also building the 690 MW Rattle hydroelectrict Power Project.

India has embarked upon the construction of a huge network of water storage facility, the National River Linking Projects at an estimated cost of about $ 300 billion likely to be completed by 2016. This includes the construction of Barsur multipurpose power projects, Siwal kot Dam, Dul hasti Dam, Dogar Dam, Gandhala Dam, Reoli/Dugli Dam, Sachkhas Dam, Tandi Dam, Telihg Tinget Dam, Seli Dam, Raoli Dam, Kirthal hydropower project and Pakot Dul Dam on Chinab River.

Dead storage created by dams in millions of acre feet built in occupied Kashmir is a loss of water to Pakistan once. One maf of water gives a benefit worth $ 2 billion. Suppose a medium sized dam creates a dead storage of 0.2 maf of water, then 50 dams on the average would create a dead storage of 10 maf or a loss of $20 billion to Pakistan. Dead storage should be limited.

 A diversion of 20 maf live storage would create a loss of $ 40 billion each year. No one knows what is actually happening in occupied Kashmir. The Government of Pakistan should know this grave situation is going to bring famine in Pakistan after the year 2016. Beside power shortage, there would be food shortage and famine in Pakistan. WAPDA was established to create storage to meet water and hydropower needs of Pakistan but no dam is built after 1974. This shows WAPDA’s failure.

It is suggested that WAPDA’s head quarter must immediately be shifted to Islamabad like that of IRSA for close coordination with other concerned organizations. WAPDA’s water side should be bifurcated from its power side so that WAPDA concentrates on building dams, irrigation systems and drainage systems to reclaim saline lands.

 Food must be given top priority, and WAPDA must coordinate with PARC and the Ministry of Agriculture, and Water, the Planning Commission, the IRSA and the other relevant provincial departments. It appears there is no one to take notice of the deteriorating land due to salinity, power shortage, water shortage, food shortage, rapid silting of reservoirs, and building of the unique dam at Katzarah on the Indus 20 miles downstream of Skardu town. I discovered Katzarah dam site in 1962, and confirmed by Dr Pieter Lieftnick head of the World Bank Team in 1968. Please know why Katzarah Dam is ignored?    

India diverting Water and Power from occupied Kashmir to Rajasthan to dry Pakistan

India creating millions of acre feet of live storage on six rivers in violation of IWT to deprive Pakistan of water for Rabi and early Kharif crops. Pakistan will be deprived of about 10 maf of dead storage and about 15 maf of live storage by the year 2016 on completion of network of dams on six rivers.

Water is life-saving natural resource but is used by India as Weapon of mass Destruction because of wrong partition of India

Unjust partition of India by the British created Kashmir dispute and water issues that may lead to nuclear conflict in South Asia

India is building dozens of dams on each river specially on Chinab and Jehlum, diverting millions of acre feet of dead storage and live storage from occupied Kashmir to Rajasthan besides hydropower. This is violation of IWT. The Indus Waters Treaty provides generation of hydropower on run-of-the-river with no or nominal live storage. It does not allow to build 827 feet high Barsar Dam to create huge dead and live storage. India is building substantial cumulative dead and live storage to run Pakistan dry and deprive it of Rabi and Kharif crops.

Over and above, India is drawing seepage water of rivers as groundwater through tube wells that is actually the perennial river flow. This reduces perennial flow to Pakistan. Chinab River flow has dropped from 21 maf to 14 maf after the construction of Baglihar Dam. It shows 7 maf of water disappeared from Chinab so far.

Indian intension is not to allow a drop of water from Chinab and Jehlum rivers go down to Pakistan during the keen demand period for Rabi and early Kharif crops. India is bent upon turning the land of five sparkling, live rivers into the land of dead rivers.

India is building hundreds of very high (827 feet, 475 feet …) to medium and small sized dams on the Indus, the Jehlum, Chinab, Ravi, Sutlege and Bias rivers including their tributaries in occupied Kashmir. This will stop perennial flow of water to Pakistan for a period of about 6 to 7 winter months. India plans to convert the world’s largest contiguous canal irrigation system into desert. This is blatant violation of the IWT and the international laws on water rights of lower riparian.

India plans to build a network of dams on six rivers inter-connecting their perennial flows with in the catchment area of occupied Kashmir using the full slope potential of each river. The network plan will be completed by 2016. By then, it will completely cut-off Rabi and early Kharif water supplies to Pakistan that it inherits since 2600 BC. The perennial storage water would be diverted to Rajistan. Partition of India cannot snatch water rights. The boundary line has to be re-drawn if nuclear war is to be avoided.

Tarbela and Mangla have silted up by 6 maf. This lost replacement storage requires to be replenished under the Treaty as Pakistan gave perennial flow of the three Eastern rivers to India and got in exchange perennial stored water. This stored water needs to be replenished perennially after its silting up.

India misuses the natural water resource as weapon of mass destruction, to covert Pakistan into desert, and to subject 200 million of population to sever famine and hunger.

The sub-continent is wrongly divided. It enabled India to control water supply to Pakistan. India can use water as a weapon of destruction.

All the canal head works went to India along with the occupied Kashmir the source of origin of the six rivers and the Muslim majority area. This was great injustice. It has sown the seed of nuclear war. Nuclear war is therefore hanging on the sub-continent and on its 1.4 million peoples as the sword of Democle’.

The need arises to settle the Kashmir dispute with the active diplomatic support of USA, UN and the world nations keeping in view the UN 60 years, old resolution on Kashmir. The earth cannot face dangerous radioactive environment, as a result of nuclear war. This should be avoided as it would destroy the earth’s environment. There will be no gainer.

Therefore, water issues and Kashmir dispute do not only concern Pakistan and India but the whole world. India should settle the Kashmir dispute and water issues by meaningful talks at the earliest. Occupied Kashmir is the Muslim majority area. The origin of all the six rivers lie in occupied Kashmir. More over, the head works of the three Eastern Rivers lie in India. For amicable settlement, occupied Kashmir be exchanged for the State of Hyderabad Daccan, the State of Junagarh and Manawadar- Hindu majority areas but acceded to Pakistan.

A nuclear war in the sub-continent should send shivers around the world as it would damage the whole environment on earth. After all, it is not only a matter about the destruction of the sub-continent but of the whole earth itself.

Nuclear radiation would cause radioactive rains, land under crop would become radioactive, sources of drinking water would become radioactive, and weather would change drastically. It would cause rapid depletion of ozone layer. Radioactivity would bring genetic changes in all living creatures including human beings for generations. It would cause genetic abnormalities. Life in all form would extinguish, as therefore would be no photosynthesis.

India did not settle Kashmir dispute according to UN resolution for the past 60 years. India is boldly violating IWT. India is not releasing relevant data on dams as required by the IWT. India uses water as the weapon of mass destruction. India that wears the garb of the largest democracy killed hundred thousands of Kashmiri. India is now planning to kill 200 million Pakistani by stopping perennial water for Rabi and early Kharif crop causing famine and hunger. India should not force Pakistan to become nuclear suicide bomber.

DAWN.COM | Editorial | Implications of water issue

DAWN.COM | Editorial | Implications of water issue

WAPDA gave tailored TOR for Kalabagh Dam that made it infeasible; Consultants report reveals

The faults of KBD pointed out by Project Consultants

Politicians pro and against Kalabagh Dam (KBD) cry vaguely without knowing the tailored design criteria given by WAPDA to the Kalabagh Project Consultants, a joint venture of Binnie and Partners. The Project Consultants disagreed with restricted mid-level sluicing hydraulic design for 50 flood days given by WAPDA, as that will not evacuate silt. The Project Consultants further said; it will create unacceptable backwater flow and flooding in Kabul River. They recommended unrestricted low-level sluicing Hydraulic design for 100 flood days, like in a barrage. As such, Kalabagh Dam is purely technical problem. The nation may be informed of this fact to end political controversy created by WAPDA.

 Similarly, the responsible engineers make irrelevant statements about KBD without reading and understanding its full feasibility report and knowing its several serious faults pointed out by the Project Consultants because the Consultants were given a vary wrong TOR to follow. These serious faults are about weak foundation that limited the height of hydraulic structure to 160 feet against 260 feet as dictated by WAPDA. The consultants were directed to adopt earthquake intensity of 7, against 8.4 experienced in 2005.

The restricted mid-level sluicing hydraulic design for 50 flood days, require the reservoir to be emptied. The reservoir will therefore be emptying and re-filling. This process will take about four months. Therefore, the power generation would be reduced to 1450 MW. WAPDA therefore directed the Project consultants to support it by 2000 MW of Thermal power plant to make it 3450 MW. Refer Main Project Report 1988, page 4.8, para 4.39, 4.4 and 4.1, diagram No; 10).

The Project Consultants warned of rapid silting of reservoir and unacceptable backwater flow in Kabul River inundating vast areas of Peshawar valley. This is because of the wrong and tailored requirements given to Consultants by WAPDA in the TOR or as subsequently directed to do what WAPDA wants. All faults created are due to wrong TOR that makes the project infeasible.

 WAPDA wrongly forced tailored design criteria for KBD in the TOR on the Consultants in the initial stage of the project and before investigations. Other far batter dam sites on the Indus were ignored. This is astonishing, as no one will do that unless with a specific purpose.

The tailored TOR is; 

“Basically the design criteria were set during the initial appraisal of scheme and development out line design. These were based on the requirements of the client through the terms of reference or subsequent instructions”. (Vol: N, Appendix N)

The TOR was given to achieve specific objective of taking a high-level left bank canal 170 miles long with 15000 cusecs discharge to feed Jehlum River system. WAPDA wrongly instructed the Consultants to create a reservoir up to elevation 925 and provide restricted mid-level sluicing hydraulic design for 50 flood days against 100 flood days. WAPDA wrongly assumed that it would evacuate silt. The Project consultants clearly said “silt would only be evacuated by providing unrestricted low-level sluicing hydraulic design for 100 flood days” like in a barrage. Please note few relevant excerpts from the Kalabagh Project Feasibility Report.;

“In principle there is no specific mode of operation that must be adhered to each year in order to sluice sediment from Kalabagh Reservoir but the lower the drawdown level, the longer this level is maintained and the higher the flows then the more effective the sluicing will be”. (KBD Project Report Main, 1988) page 3.8, para 3.27) 

The Project Consultants findings in the feasibility report clearly indicate building of a barrage as on run-of-the-river to evacuate silt by unrestricted low-level sluicing for 100 days. The project is NOT flood control. Consultants gave several excerpts on silting problems upstream of the Attock Gorge, creating sever backwater flow and flooding in Kabul River; Another excerpt is;

“The high sediment load carried by the Indus at Kalabagh has an important bearing on the design of Kalabagh and on the operation rules for the reservoir. If a high proportion of sediment is trapped the storage volume would rapidly reduce with the loss of irrigation benefits derived from storage. Such sedimentation could eventually also cause unacceptable backwater effects”. (Project Report Main, 1988. page 3.5, para 3.17)

The above excerpt shows that removal of silt from the reservoir depends on its hydraulic design that requires a barrage to create run-of-the-river conditions to evacuate silt otherwise it will cause rapid silting and unacceptable backwater flow and flooding of Peshawar valley. This shows KBD will lose irrigation benefits as the reservoir will rapidly silt up. KBD draws 540 million tons of silt from a catchment area of 110500 squire miles that comes to 0.3 maf by volume. This gives a lifespan of about 20 years.

Other excerpts from the project feasibility reports are;   

“Upstream of Attock gorge the flood level are sensitive to the amount of sediment so that flood risk will increase with time”

This excerpts shows that after silting, backwater flow and flood risk will increase in Kabul River of Peshawar valley. This shows Kalabagh Dam is NOT flood control and gives no protection to Peshawar valley. The Consultants recommended  hydraulic design, as a run-of-the-river project.

“In the long run the generation of power will be on run-of-the-river”.

This excerpt shows KBD reservoir will silt up and power generation will be on run-of-the-river. This means Kalabagh ultimately will not be even an irrigation project. KBD is not a flood control project. This shows the only purpose of Kalabagh Dam is to take off the proposed left bank canal. The other excerpt is;

“No immediate solution for sediment management seems to be practically viable”.

The Consultants clearly admitted there is no solution to remove silt from upstream of the Attock gorge of the reservoir. This shows lifespan of reservoir is very short. The poorest capacity-inflow ratio of Kalabagh Dam at this site indicates the same.

For these reasons, the Project report of Kalabagh was kept secret from the provinces. During

a meeting at Peshawar with the then Member (Water) WAPDA, the then Additional Chief Secretary Khalid Aziz demanded the Feasibility Report but Member Water WAPDA said ‘It is a secret document”. The ACS insisted that nothing is secret from the Government of NWFP and ultimately got a copy of the report.

I remained Chairman IRSA and spent 6 years in IRSA doing research and investigation in water resources development. I therefore know what Kalabagh Dam is. WAPDA sticking to KBD is a great blunder, as it created status quo for 36+10=46 years and avoided to build the unique Katzarah Dam with storage capacity 6 times more than KBD.

 The delay created inter-provincial water dispute for not implementing its storage based paras 2, 4. 6. and 14 (e). The current exceptionally high floods that created unprecedented havoc would have been mitigated if Katzarah Dam with storage capacity of 35 maf was built in time as proposed.

Pretension that Kalabagh Dam is flood control is wrong

It is utterly surprising that no responsible engineer or politician has gone through the flawed Kalabagh Dam Project Feasibility Report prepared by the Project Consultants in 27 volumes. The Consultants themselves have pointed out many serious flaws caused due to the tailored TOR as indicated by me above. Besides this, it is not a flood control dam but a dam on-run-of-the–river dam.

If Kalabagh Dam had been built before the current super floods, the entire Peshawar valley up to Pabbi and beyond would have been inundated. Moreover, there would have been danger to the structure of the dam itself as its foundation was weak for 260 feet high dam.

Peshawar valley would have been then the victim of multiple floods fury from Swat River, Panjkora River, Kabul River, and Indus Rivers. Indus River floods would have devastated Peshawar valley from its backwater flow and flooding the entire valley. The adverse effects of floods would have been  more sever after the construction of Kalabagh Dam, damming the flow of the Indus and aggravating backwater flow and heading up conditions at Attock gorge.

The effect of backwater flow at Attock gorge would have been exactly as if a dam was built at the Attock gorge. The devastation would have been beyond imagination affecting area up to elevation 975. The floodwater might have overtopped the crest of the dam. KBD Consultants reported that in 1929, the flood level was 951 feet and in 1841 it was 975 feet. We must therefore build Katzarah Dam on the Indus, Guroh Dop Dam on Punjkora River, Kalam Dam on Swat River to mitigate similar floods hitting the area in future. It is very likely such floods may come again due to global warming and climate change.

Alternative to Kalabagh Dam

I can suggest non-controversial, long lifespan, cheap alternative for KBD with a unique design of a low dam-cum-barrage at a site about 2 or 3 miles upstream of Kalabagh Dam site on the Indus River. It will create storage of 2.5 maf to 3.0 maf of water that would be filled 3 times a year and generate hydropower on run-of-the-river between 2500 MW to 6500 MW. No land acquisition and no land compensation is involved as the storage would be confined to the Indus River valley. It will be a non-controversial short-term project with one fraction of the cost of KBD. It will function as “balancing reservoir”.