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Friday, April 22, 2011

Chinese offer and cooperation in Power Generation to invest $15 bn



Ref:  The Daily The NEWS and DAWN.China willing to invest $15 bn in energy sector” 

The Chairman State-owned Three Gorges Project Corporation (CTGPC), head of the Chinese delegation to Pakistan discussed with Finance Minister the Kohala, Bunji, Dashu, Basha and other hydropower projects in the Indus valley. Surprisingly, they ignored the unique, 35-maf Katzarah Dam, capable of generating 15,000 MW of power on the Indus, located 20 miles on the down stream of Skardu.

It is astonishing that WAPDA who is responsible to generate power but failed to generate, is putting hurdles, arguing that ground of urgency do not exist so as to confer any waiver from the PPRA rules. What more urgency could be when 6 to 20 hours load shedding is carried out daily. This will further increase as population is increasing. We are pushed to the stone age. The national economy is destroyed. The power needs with in 8 years will be doubled. The Two Days Holiday to overcome power shortage is a ridiculous solution for relief. The Chairman CTGPC may be allowed to build dams on war footing on the Indus to remove not only the acute power shortage but also water shortage. In such matters, the case should be referred to National Assembly in the form of a bill rather getting bogged down in the quagmire of rules.

I suggest, that instead of building Kohala, Bunji. Dashu , costing about $36bn, build a single, unique, multipurpose dam at KATZARAH costing $12bn. It will generate up to 15,000 MW of power, create 35 maf storage, control silt flow from the highly erodible soil of Skardu valley, increase life of Basha from 80 years to 8oo years, extend life of Tarbela by 60 years, and control supper floods like of 2010. Moreover, it will irrigate 5 million acres of barren lands, including the Kachi plain in Baluchistan. But WAPDA is allergic to this unique dam. Please get comments on Katzarah from some foreign consultants. Dr Pieter Lieftnic recommended it in 1968. I discovered it in 1961.

Please get comments from IRSA, the highest, five-member technical body in the country. Chairman WAPDA is only an ex-officio Member of IRSA. There is dire need to shift WAPDA Head quarter to Islamabad as of IRSA for greater cooperation, avoid delay, avoid wrong planning of mega projects. Dams are necessary to get Water Accord paras 2, 4, 6 and 14(e) implemented besides generating hydropower. Implementation of para 2, needs 12.35 maf of storage. The silting of dead and live storage needs 6.75 maf storage. Environmental need  downstream Kotri needs 10 maf. Therefore implement para 4, 6 and 14(e) of the Water Accord.     

I further suggest to build multipurpose Guroh Dop Dam on Panjkora River, only about 5 miles upstream of Munda to control devastating floods in Kabul River. WAPDA is unaware of Guroh Dop dam site. For the time being, instead of Munda, Guroh Dop be implemented.

Mid-term, unique hydropower project of “Raised Fateh Barrage” at the tail end of the Indus valley

I further suggest, comparatively a quick hydropower Project of “Raised Fateh Barrage”, a combination of low dam-cum-barrage over the crest of the dam in the Indus valley where the waterway is confined. The structure will serve as a high conventional barrage. The project involves a 100 high dam with a conventional barrage over the crest of the dam. The 100 feet high dam will silt up. Only the barrage will function. It will be a run-of-the-river project, generating hydropower ranging from 2000 MW minimum to 6000 MW. It will have a storage capacity of about 3.0 maf that can be refilled two or three times a year due to its pivotal location as the entire flow of Kabul River and the Indus River pass through this site. This project will serve as balancing reservoir for Tarbela Dam and others on the upstream.

It requires no land acquisition as storage reservoir will be with in the valley. It involves no land compensation. There is no silt problem in this barrage. It may cost $3bn and 4 years to complete. The barrage will function as a key storage structure in regulation and distribution of water among the provinces. The multipurpose barrage will facilitate IRSA job of water regulation at critical moments at the growing of Rabi and early Kharif and help avoid crop failure. It will also regulate maximum and minimum daily power requirements.

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