Unique Katzarah and Guroh Dop - the only dams to control super floods

I have discovered unique, 35 maf Katzarah, and multipurpose, 8.5 maf Guroh Dop dam sites in 1962 and sent their preliminary feasibility reports to WAPDA and other concerned organizations. Recent catastrophic floods have destroyed the nation. It has cost about 50 billions of dollars losses in property besides thousands of human beings killed by the floods and affected about forty million of population. It is worse than 2004 tsunami and 2005 earthquake. Floods and rainwater has severely affected 25% area of Pakistan. The reason is no suitable dams on the Indus and Swat River were built after Tarbela in 1974, about 36 years ago. WAPDA ignored unique Katzarah Dam on the Indus, and multipurpose Guroh Dop Dam on Panjkora River. These two dams are capable to absorb super floods to avoid historic and unusual damages beyond imagination. Such floods are expected in the future.

I had sent the prefeasibility report of these two dams to all concerned in my report,

 “Irrigation Planning and Construction for West Pakistan” in 1962. Only the Ministry of Agriculture acknowledged it vide D.O. No: D. 386 – DS (PO) /63, Dated 7.1.1963. The Agriculture Ministry demanded more copies of the report as the Aid officers showed great interest”.

After devastating flood losses, the Ministry of Water and Power ultimately realized to build more dams to control floods. Therefore, it proposes to build the indirect dam at Akhori from the Indus, Kalabagh Dam on the Indus and Munda Dam on Swat River. This would be another historic blunder to consider these dams as flood control. None of the three dams is flood control. The Ministry seems to be unaware of huge flood control dams at Katzarah and at Guroh Dop. Therefore, it ignored them. While selecting dam sites the Ministry should investigate;

Which multipurpose dam to build first and why so as to control super floods effectively?

Which dam has longer lifespan, stores more water and generate more power?

Which dams have the largest storage capacities to accommodate super floods?

Which dam is the cheapest per maf of water, per MW of hydropower?

Which dam is technically unquestionable?

Which dam has the best capacity-inflow ratio?

Which dam is rejected by the World Bank Team headed by Dr Pieter Lieftnick?

Why KBD feasibility report was not studied in details to know the flaws pointed out by the Consultants who recommended unrestricted low-level sluicing hydraulic design instead of restricted mid-level sluicing design dictated by WAPDA in view of the tailored TOR. The consultants said silt will not be evacuated and there will be unacceptable backwater flow besides many other flaws.

By considering Akhori, Munda and Kalabagh Dams as super flood control show not only ignorance about these mega dams but also show ignorance about the real flood control dams at Katzarah on the Indus and Guroh Dop on Panjkora River. These two dams are super flood control. Akhori, Munda and Kalabagh are not flood control dams.  Here I give brief technical history of Akhori, Munda and Kalabagh dams to show that these are not flood control. At the same time, I inform you of the real flood control dams at Katzarah and at Guroh Dop.

Sanjwal Akhori Dam (indirect dam from the Indus with a discharge of 80,000 cusecs)

Dr Pieter Lieftnic head of the World Bank Team rejected the 250 feet high Akhori Dam due to weak foundation and for other reasons and superseded it by Gariala Dam. Refer to page 292, volume 1 of Dr Pieter Lieftnick report. The height of the dam was 250 feet and a length of 15800 feet. Akhori’s live storage capacity was 3.3 maf. It was single purpose irrigation project and NOT flood control. The report on page 269 states that

 “It became evident that an inordinate amount of earth moving would be involved and that serious foundation problems would be encountered at each site. Cutoff grouting would be required along the axis of Sanjwal Dam the embankment of which would be 12.5 miles long and extensive treatment would also be required at Akhori. In view of this and other considerations, the project was deemed less favorable than Gariala” . The report on page 266 states that

 “ For any such undertaking, Tarbela would have to be built to elevation 1565  against its present height of 1550 feet in order to facilitate the transfer of water across the divide”. This means Tarbela Dam will have to be raised by 15 feet. This seems to be almost impossible.

Moreover, an unusual canal with a colossal discharge of 80,000 cusecs would take-off from the Siren arm of Tarbela reservoir across the country to feed Akhori Reservoir. This will cross Motorway, GT road, Railway line and other several internal roads. Each structure would be uniquely gigantic in size and cost. The canal would hardly run for about 50 days in a year during floods to feed Akhori. It will also carry heavy silt. It will remain dry for about 10 months a year. Moreover, the diversion of 80,000 cusecs would reduce power generation at times at Tarbela that would affect the royalty of KP besides destroying environment and eco-system between Ghazi barrage to downstream of Attock gorge.

In spite of the weak foundation of Akhori Dam already declared unsafe by the World Bank Consultants for a height of 250 feet, WAPDA has prepared its feasibility report for a 420 feet high dam through local consultants to create storage capacity of 7 maf. The earthwork involved is more than three times the earthwork of Tarbela Dam. The length of the dam with high embankments will increase to about 25000 feet. Those who propose this dam should see the report of Dr Pieter Lieftnick. How can a dam with weak foundation that is rejected by the World Bank be a flood control dam?

Munda Dam

Munda Dam is basically a power dam on run-of-the-river. It is not a flood control dam as it has gross storage capacity of 1.29 maf and live storage only 0.6 maf. Munda Dam is 700 feet high and can generate 740 MW of power. It is very doubtful that 0.6 maf storage could mitigate a super flood of 400,000 cusecs in Kabul River.    

Guroh Dop Dam

It is surprising that multipurpose Guroh Dop Dam with a storage capacity of 8.5 maf more than Basha Dam has not been located by WAPDA. It is a wonderful super flood control dam on Panjkora River. It will mitigate floods in Kabul River that will reduce flood discharge in Indus River. The height of Guroh Dop Dam is 550 feet. It was discovered by me on 23.11.1960 and its prefeasibility report submitted to WAPDA. Guroh Dop Dam is located at 34-45 longitude and 71-47-17 latitude on GTS sheet No 38N/13.

Basha Dam.

Basha Dam with 6.0 maf storage capacity is already approved by the Council of Common Interest. It is already under work. This dam is multipurpose. It will help reduce peak floods.

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 restricted mid-level sluicing hydraulic design dictated by WAPDA to the Project Consultants in the TOR.

WAPDA has given a very wrong Terms of Reference to the Kalabagh Project Consultants. How can the client fix the design criteria before investigation and 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. Please examine the ridiculous 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” restricting flood to 50 flood days instead of 100 flood days 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. In a way, the Project Consultants of Kalabagh suggested a barrage instead of a dam.

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.

Kalabagh 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. Besides this, it has weak foundation.

Backwater flow and heading 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 submerged by floodwater. It is reported that 10 feet to 14 feet depth of floodwater was flowing over the G.T. road in Nowshera Town.  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. The valley upstream of the Attock gorge will be subjected to heavy silting that would cause backwater flow. This is indicated by the consultant in the Feasibility report. Few excerpts are quoted for information 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 by WAPDA 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 risk 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 4 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 may therefore think very seriously what to do. The Government should identify long lifespan flood mitigation dams. Moreover, there is dire need to mitigate global warming and climate change. There are predictions that they will cause more flooding, on one hand, and more droughts, on the other—as well as a growing frequency of freak events. There is dire need to build more dams.  

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 the Consultants who have pointed out design flaws and it is the TOR that went wrong by dictating wrong hydraulic 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.

 This project 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.    

WARNING

Charlatans in WAPDA who wrongly informed the Ministry of Water and others should first know which dam is flood control.

As explained above, the Ministry of Water and Power recommended to build Kalabagh, Munda, and Akhori Dams as the Ministry thinks these are flood control dams whereas, these are not flood control dams.

Please refer to The News Dated August 6, 2010. It states;

“The Water and Power Ministry has prepared the summary and forwarded it to the provinces for comments on the need of water reservoirs as the resources are drying up due to lack of storage capacity. As flood continue wreaking havoc across the country the Federal Government recognized the need of building the Kalabagh Dam and a draft summary was prepared for the last cabinet meeting, but it stopped short of recommending the construction of the mega project(Kalabagh)”.

“According to details, the Federal Government summary underscoring the importance of new reservoirs, noted that the construction of additional dams was necessary and that Basha, Akhori, Munda and Kakabagh Dams should be constructed…”      

Please refer again to The News dated September 1, 2010 stating that

 “The Water and Power Ministry that circulated the summary had noted that the construction of additional dams was necessary and that Kalabagh Dam, Basha, Akhori, Munda Dams should be constructed. But the Ministry in recommendation list intriguingly dropped the name of Kalabagh Dam”.

It appears from the above statements that the Ministry of Water and Power, and WAPDA are ignorant of their basic jobs and responsibilities to the nation.

The following two dams are Flood Control besides being multipurpose

There are two most effective flood control dams in the country. The one is a unique dam at Katzarah on the Indus River to control floods downstream of Attock Gorge. The other dam to control floods is on Punjkora River the main tributary of Swat River to control floods in Kabul River of Peshawar valley. This will also reduce floods in the Indus downstream of Attock Gorge.. First, I would briefly discuss flood control dam Katzarah on the Indus. Then I would discuss Guroh Dop Dam  on Punjkora River.

Unique, multipurpose, flood control,  Katzarah Dam with 35 maf storage capacity

(6 times the storage of Basha Dam)

Katzarah is unique because it has the narrowest dam site in the world. It is about 300 feet at the bed level. Katzarah is unique because it has a storage capacity of 35 maf, and would produce up to 15,000 MW of hydropower. Katzarah is unique because it is a super flood control dam. Katzarah is unique because it will act as watershed management dam to prevent silt flow in the Indus water that come from the world’s highly erodible soil in Skardu valley. Skardu valley will come under the reservoir. Katzarah has the best capacity-inflow ration in the whole of Indus River. It has a lifespan of 1000 years. Katzarah will increase the life of Basha Dam from 80 years to 800 years. It will increase the life of Tarbela by about 70 years. This is because silt will be prevented to stay in Skardu valley.

Katzarah will serve as replacement dam. Katzarah is the cheapest dam per maf of storage water, per MW of hydropower generation. Katzarah would provide irrigation facilities to millions of acres of barren lands in the four provinces. Katzarah will help implement paras 2, 4, 6, and 14 (e) of the Water Accord and end inter-provincial water dispute. Katzarah Dam is badly needed to mitigate climate change. Katzarah is a carryover dam. It is a development Dam. It is a Replacement Dam. Katzarah is an inter-seasonal dam. Katzarah is super flood control dam. Katzarah will regulate the highly erratic flow of the Indus that varies between the minimum of 9,000 cusecs to maximum of 1,200,000 cusecs. My views on Katzarah are supported by the Government of Sindh and by Nisar Memon Parliamentary Committee and by AGN Qazi Technical Committee as I assisted them in their job. My discovery of Katzarah Dam in 1962 was confirmed by Dr Pieter Lieftnick in 1968.

I discovered Katzarah Dam site in 1962 and prepared its prefeasibility report and sent it the then Government. In spite of this, WAPDA and the Ministry of Water and Power and the Planning Commission took no notice of it. WAPDA promised before Nisar Memon Committee to submit the feasibility report of Katzarah Dam by September, 2005, but nothing has been done so far about this unique dam. I fear that during this record floods, Tarbela Dam may probably have silt up by about 1 maf and has shortened its lifespan. It is estimated that this year about 40 maf of floodwater or more would be wasted to sea

Multipurpose Guroh Dop Dam on Panjkora River

Guroh Dop Dam has a huge storage capacity of 8.5 maf to control super floods. Its storage is more than Basha Dam and of Kalabagh Dam. The height of the dam is 550 feet. It will generate about 600 MW of hydropower. The dam site is at elevation 2100 in a narrow valley. It has a huge reservoir called “Shigo Katch”. I discovered this dam on 23.11.1960. Its location on GTS sheet No: 38N/13 is at 34-45 longitude and 71-47-17 latitude on Panjkora River. Guroh Dop Dam will substantially reduce flood fury in Kabul River.

The above are the two specific dams that can mitigate flood havoc of this intensity caused by global warming and climate change. Pakistan is self-destroy not to pay heed to these two unique dams.

 A Dam at Kalam on Swat River is also necessary to control floods of this year intensity. It has a small storage capacity of 0.26 maf. Kalam Dam will generate 110 MW of power with a hight of 480 feet in a narrow valley.

 Kalabagh, Munda and Akhori are no match to Katzarah and Guroh Dop. It is ridiculous to assume that these are flood control. Kalabagh and Akhori are infesible and Munda is power dam. Basha is OK.

Gomal Zam multipurpose flood control dam at Khajuri Katch

I am the discoverer of Khajuri Katch dam site on Gomal River in 1959. A multipurpose dam at Khajuri Katch on Gomal River is an obvious example of flood control. Gomal Zam is notorious for furious floods since 1850, severely damaging villages, crops, property, infrastructures, besides forming ravines due to soil erosion. On completion of Gomal Zam Dam this year, it has created a vast reservoir of about one maf of floodwater at Khajuri Katch Reservoir. The result of this multipurpose flood control dam is that it has completely saved the Town of Kulachi and the surrounding villages, land, crops etc although 25% of Pakistan is ruined by rains and floods. This is because, there is no flood control dam on the Indus at Katzarah, no flood control dam at Guroh Dop on Panjkora River and no flood control dam at Kalam on Swat River. Had these dams been built, Pakistan would have avoided the historic floods that completely ruined the country and destroy its 40 million population.

I request the Prime Minister to take second opinion before he listens to WAPDA, the Ministry of Water, and the Planning Commission. I hereby challenge them all for what I said is 100% correct and they cannot say a word to the contrary. Their verbal arguments may not be accepted. They should give their opinion in writing supported by technical facts.

I would suggest to the Prime Minister to get opinion of Harza International Consultants on my reports. Harza Consultants remained general Consultants to WAPDA for about 30 years.

Other reasons for flash floods

Stripping of forests have taken place by the timber mafia in Swat, Shangla, Azad Kashmir, and elsewhere. This causes flash floods, as the soil is denuded and the runoff becomes rapid. Flash floods in the Indus River brought all the timber cut down by the timber mafia. The result was that the 93 Km long Tarbela Lake was all full of floating timber.

Moreover, the country’s natural drainage and its entire waterway has been blocked by various kinds of obstructions. The whole waterway is converted into built up area. While travelling on the GT road, if one looks on the upstream and downstream of bridges, one finds that all the major waterways of drains (up to 3000 feet wide) are choked up as villages and factories are built with in the waterways. The floodwater overflows the choked waterway over a very large area in sheet form.

 The Government has totally ignored the Canal and Drainage Act of 1887. Even classified drains are not maintained as the Act requires. I fear, the Act is forgotten, and nobody knows about it to enforce it. The Government should take action to revive the old, classified drains as that is Government property. Besides this, it ruins the country as it causes largescale devastation due to the blockage of waterways of drains that contain the floodwater flow.

The other reason for free flood flow is lack of planning and governance failure. This is because no flood control dam is built in 36 years after Tarbela. The Ministry of Water and Power and WAPDA is totally confused by calling Kalabagh, Munda and Akhori as flood control dams. This is something very serious and very surprising too, as they lack knowledge in their field, and as result, misguide the Prime Minister and the general public as well as the politicians.