To,

            Riaz Ahmad Khan, Technical Advisor, GM (C&M) water WAPDA,Wapda House Lahore

Subject.   Articles written by Mr Fateh ullah Khan Gandapur

Reference Secretary Water and Power letter NoW1-4(20)/2011 dated May, 2012

My views after two meetings on 18 water issues (copies of issues sent to all) were discussed hastily and superficially in about 4 to 5 hours in two sittings. Each issue in consequences is as serious as the floods of 2010 and the ongoing crippling load shedding. The committee discussed some issues swiftly, where WAPDA representative was arguing as an advocate to defend the crimes of his client. This is not the way to decide the fate of each burning issue costing billions of dollars, involving the economy, the food needs, and existence of the country, and the well fair of the people.

All the 18 Water issues are very serious. The severe load shedding is about to create bloody revolution. WAPDA is responsible for the devastation of floods of 2010, the current power shortage, the water shortage, and the rapid silting of Terbela Reservoir. for not allowing the building of Basha Dam whose feasibility was established in 1981. WAPDA stuck to its ego for building Kalabagh Dam with tailored TOR for building the Left bank canal with 15,000 cusecs discharge for Punjab. Refer to KBD Project report June 1991. WAPDA fixed wrong dam site at Kalabagh with tailored design that was kept secret from the then Government of NWFP for its wrong, restricted mid-level silt sluicing hydraulic design and the left bank canal. WAPDA did not allow building of another dam in 37 years, when 4 dams could be built in 37 years. This negligence caused devastation. WAPDA did that with the nation which the terrorists could not do. Besides the above, Kachi canal  planed by WAPDA failed, SCARPs failed, NDP failed, Kalabagh made controversial by selecting and fixing dam at wrong site  with wrong design and now the 35 maf, unique Katzarah Dam is made controversial by frightening the people of the area, the authorities of Northern areas, and the Government of Pakistan. WAPDA hides merits and announces demerits.

In case of Katzarah Dam discovered by me in1960-61 and repeatedly pointed out to WAPDA, WAPDA only  prepared its wrong and exaggerated environmental aspect with a view to show that it is not feasible environmentally. WAPDA did not touch the unique, one in four, technical benefits of 35maf storage that is 6 times of KBD, controlling flood in the Indus, huge power generation and the unique benefit of controlling silt from Skardu valley that would increase life span of all downstream reservoirs. Pakistan has no major reservoirs except Katzarah, Basha and Guroh Dop. All other reservoirs are either very small or problematic. There is no dam site on Kabul River, Jehlum River and Chenab River. Indus is the only river and Katzarah is the only unique dam site on the Indus that would also work as water shed management dam. Let WAPDA study my articles on Katzarah Dam, Guroh Dop Dam, Mirkhani Dam and Fateh barrage sent to all concerned. Please get copies from IRSA or the Secretary Water and Power. Similarly get copies of the remaining issues from IRSA or the Ministry.

It is the duty of WAPDA to investigate the technical merits and demerits of each project, specially the Katzarah Dam, Fateh barrage, Guroh Dop Dam and Mirkhani Dam. It is for the Government to make decision to build the project or not after judging its merits and demerits and after obtaining views of foreign consultants. WAPDA has no authority to reject a project on its own on exaggerated environment issue and not touching a bit of its multipurpose unique merits. This proves WAPDA’s psyche of negative tendency and obstinacy. It is surprising that during the foundation ceremony of Basha, the unique Katzarah was not pointed to the Prime Minister when he was in that very locality.

The unique Katzarah Dam.

It is a unique, one in four project with almost indefinite life span. It creates 35 maf storage, six times KBD, generates cheap hydropower, controls 100 per cent floods in the Indus, and controls silt to increase life of all downstream reservoirs. Basha life will increase from 80 years to 700 years. Tarbala remaining life will increase by 40 to 45 years.  Katzarah will implement Water Accord by meeting its 22 maf storage requirement.  It will replenish 6.5 maf replacement storage lost. Why WAPDA has shut its eyes to these unique technical merits. Contrary to this, WAPDA is frightening the local residents and is creating KBD type of controversy. Please compare the well being of 18 crores population at the cost of submergence of silt releasing Skardu valley. It’s the Government job to make decision for building Katzarah and not WAPDA. My report on Katzarah Dam may be examined in details.

Fateh Barrage

Basically this short term project is substitute for the controversial KBD to bring peace   between the fighting provinces. The KBD project consultants have also indicated to provide unrestricted low-level silt sluicing hydraulic structure replacing the KBD dictated design. The consultants meant high barrage. A 260 feet high dam suffers from silting problem as reported by the KBD consultants. The consultants have also indicated to reduce its height from 260 feet to 160 feet because of weak foundation. Fateh barrage will cost $2 billion and completed in 2.5 years. It will function as balancing reservoir for Tarbela reservoir when more power is needed at Tarbela. WAPDA estimated  power generation of Fateh barrage as 1366 MW. Actually it is much more. It’s a run-of-river project, will create minimum to maximum power depending on the river flow. KBD planned to irrigate Laki Marwat area from the KBD lake through tunnel. Fateh Barrage will also cover the same area and not Karak as mentioned by WAPDA. Please refer to “Introducing Kalabagh Dam Project” Report June , 1991 issued by WAPDA. WAPDA cheating may be noticed that in 10 days it has counted the population of the area and the numbers of villages that will be submerged. All this is jugglery of words to depict projects infeasible.  The reservoir is confined to steep hill where it is not possible for the villages to develop. This is only stated to shelve the project initiated by me that hurts WAPDA ego—a strong mafia.

Moreover, the storage water will be released during the period of low supplies. Every now and then freshets come that will be stored. How can the reservoir be empty from October to May? Is the Indus River dry? Will this be the situation with KBD? Hydrology of KBD and Fateh barrage is the same. Storage water will properly be regulated. Investigation will reveal facts. WAPDA should not form opinion on its whim. I may inform you that at elevation 880, the gross storage is 4.4 maf and even then the reservoir will be short of Attock gorge. The gross storage of 4.4 maf created by Fateh barrage is equal to the joint gross storage of Bunji, Dasu, Munda, Kurram Tangi Dams. Is this not something unique? We can easily create storage upto 4.4 maf  instead of 3.4 maf. We can further go up to Elevation 900 for storing 6 maf or so. In that case the reservoir will reach Attock Gorge.  Investigation will reveal the quantity of reasonable storage. The barrage involves no silting problem and backwater flow as KBD. It will cost very low. WAPDA arguments are unreliable. Please get opinion of foreign consultants. Refer to storage capacity curve prepared by WAPDA that can help to decide the quantity of reasonable storage.      

Akhori Dam

WAPDA tries to prove that Dr Pieter Lieftnic report on Akhori is wrong. I do not agree with WAPDA. Dr Lieftnick clearly says Gariala site is preferred to Akhori. For this, he gives reasons. Let the Government decide if it agrees with Dr Lieftnic or WAPDA. Dr Lieftnic has pointed out many drawbacks which seem to be serious. WAPDA is habitual in planning wrong projects such as Kachi Canal, SCARPs, NDP, KBD etc. all that miserably failed and billions of rupees wasted. Why, no inquiry was made for these failures? We must know the causes of failure for accountability and for getting wise.

Please refer to page 266 of Dr Pieter Lieftnic report Vol 1, revealing that Tarbela height will be raised for diverting water.

“ For any such undertakings, Tarbela would have to be built to elevation 1565 feet in order to facilitate the transference of water across the divide”

“For 3.3 maf storage it is evident that an inordinate amount of earth moving would be involved and that serious foundation problems would be encountered. The Akhori project was deemed less favorable than Gariala. (page 267).

“To convey the Indus water from Tarbela to Gariala; a canal some five miles long, with a capacity of 76000 cusecs, would be constructed from the Siran arm of the Tarbela reservoir”

“ See page 292. Akhori is superseded by Gariala”.

The channel to divert water will remain dry for 9 months and 20 days.

There is no surety that in 20 days the reservoir would be filled to designed capacity.

In view of above muddy situation, a fair and sound opinion about these projects can only be given by hiring known foreign consultants. They may be asked to prepare only the very preliminary feasibility reports of these four projects. I have found that my articles/papers on Katzarah and other schemes have not been studied in details. Therefore the two days discussion was all vague and flying. Correct conclusion cannot be drawn.

It is pointed out that in IRSA Act, the Chairman WAPDA is made ex-officio Member IRSA. This naturally means he should be technical man to actively participate in all such vital technical discussions on projects costing $ billions. On the completion of term of the present Chairman, the next Chairman should be an experienced technical person. In my opinion, I consider Riaz Ahmad Khan Technical Advisor to WAPDA as the most suitable man for the job.

Let Foreign Consultant give advice on these projects. They should be asked to further improve these. I give only the project concept which may further be improved. My figures are very rough and needs investigation and confirmation.  All technical details of projects may be investigated by the consultants.

Storage problem in Indus Waters Treaty due to silting

How much live storage under definitions is created by India in 32 hydraulic structures under the Indus Waters Treaty

The Foreign Ministry of Pakistan may request the Government of India to let us know the aggregate quantity of live storage created in maf on the 32 hydraulic projects under the technical definition in Appendix-D, that is, Live storage water under Pondage, Surcharge storage as floodwater storage, storage created under the run-of-river including pondage storage and operating pool live storage.

The gross replacement storage of Tarbela and Mangla Reservoirs built under the Indus Water Treaty, lost about 6.5 maf storage due to rapid silting. The storage were created to compensate for the loss of perennial water diverted by India from the canals in Eastern Punjab. The lost storage needs replenishment otherwise the Treaty would become inefficacious. India may be request under the Treaty to pay the cost for creating replacement storage or contribute as before.    

The above two basic issues that is, silting of reservoirs and storage created under technical definitions escaped un-noticed so far, may please be clarified in a spirit of love and mutual respect. Senator John Kerry report arouses sense of danger.

Senator John Kerry Report to US senate, India stored enough water to limit the supply of water to Pakistan

Senator John Kerry report to US Senate created alarm. It appears India has created enough water to harm Pakistan at critical moment in the growing season. Furthermore, John Kerry has shown fear of water war to congress. An excerpt from John Kerry report is reproduced.

“India has acquired the ability to store enough water to limit the supply of water to Pakistan at critical moment in the growing season”.

The above statement is extremely political with far reaching consequences. Every word is full of meanings that need political and technical analysis. The Foreign Ministry and our legal experts may study this statement. We want to know live storage created under the definition of terms in view of John Kerry report and the various reports from media showing water war by using water as weapon of mass destruction by creating famine like situation in Pakistan..

Engr Fateh ullah khan Gandapur

Former Chairman IRSA.            Mobile   0300-5920641                  June 9, 2012

Copy to;

Secretary Ministry of Water and Power, Islamabad for information. The situation is brought to his notice for guidance and decision. Government decision is required to proceed further. WAPDA head quarter may be shifted to Islamabad to work in close coordination with IRSA and other professional organizations at Islamabad.

Chairman IRSA Islamabad for expressing Authority views to the Government. Water regulation and its management and distribution fall under the jurisdiction of IRSA. These schemes are part of water regulation.   

Minister for Water and power for information. He may decide to appoint foreign consultants to give pre-feasibility reports on at least four projects. Moreover, WAPDA may be directed not to frighten the people of Northern area. WAPDA is implanting controversy for Katzarah Dam. WAPDA did the same for KBD.

Copy  to; All Members of the committee for information and offering written views