WAPDA’s professional inability in Dam sites selection caused billions of Dollars loss in floods and load shedding besides water, power and food insecurity

WAPDA after creating 47 years (37+10) long status quo only to build Kalabagh Dam or no dam, has destroyed the country by floods and energy shortage. Kalabagh Dam has the poorest capacity inflow ratio in the world, and the rapid silting of reservoir because of wrong hydraulic design that has also limited the hydropower generation capability.

WAPDA is once again creating one more damaging status quo to permanently destroy irrigated agriculture in the Indus basin causing food insecurity besides water and hydropower insecurity. As a consequence of the long status quo for insisting to build Kalabagh Dam, under the policy “Kalabagh Dam or no dam”, about 22 per cent fertile area of Pakistan was destroyed by the 2010 floods. Moreover, It caused crippling load shedding that destroyed economy. Under the same policy, WAPDA is opposing the unique Katzarah Dam on flimsy grounds that Baltic culture in Skardu valley will be submerged. WAPDA did not carry out its technical feasibility.

WAPDA therefore misguided the Government of Pakistan about the feasibility of Kalabagh Dam that is politically controversial and technically infeasible for adopting wrong hydraulic design of restricted mid-level sluicing structure. The Kalabagh Project Consultants suggested unrestricted low-level silt sluicing hydraulic structure but WAPDA disagreed with the Kalabagh Project Consultants. Because of wrong hydraulic design, the power generation capability of KBD was reduced to 1250 MW. To make up this deficiency, WAPDA instructed the Project Consultants to install 2000 MW of Thermal Power Plant in support of poor generation of hydropower. WAPDA misguides to claim that KBD will generate 3450 MW of power.

 Still continuing the same policy “build Kalabagh Dam or no dam”, the unique and multipurpose 35-maf Katzarah Dam, the life-line of Pakistan is shelved by WAPDA on ridiculous grounds in spite of its unique technical merits and its dire need for irrigated agriculture to achieve water, power and food security. WAPDA misguides the Government on dams by sending wrong and exaggerated reports, ignoring huge feasible water storage dams and power generation urgently required to sustain irrigated agriculture and industry.  

Let the Government appoint foreign consultants to prepare the feasibility report of Katzarah Dam to know its marvelous merits. Only then decision may be made to build or not to build the unique and multipurpose Katzarah Dam. WAPDA reports are unreliable. Can WAPDA quote any mega storage dam in the world that has not submerged area? Take the case of Three Gorges Dam in China that displaced 2.2 million people. What about Kalabagh Dam? Will it not submerge Peshawar valley and other vast areas?

Katzarah Dam

WAPDA has written to the Ministry of Water and Power that it shelved the multipurpose Katzarah Dam on the basis over a dozen negative environmental impacts that made Katzarah Dam unfeasible. Exaggerating the environmental impacts, these are submergence of 13363 acres of land, 130,000 population, 20,000 houses, 7000 shops, hospitals, schools, graveyard, mosques, 40 Km road, airstrip, Shangrila Motel, and archaeological sites besides the Baltic culture. Contrary to this, WAPDA ignored technical merits and its unique benefits in case of Kalabagh Dam. WAPDA views are one sided, immature, and prejudicial. WAPDA failed to investigate the unique and multipurpose technical aspects of the dam that has marvelous merits of functioning as watershed management dam. WAPDA has shown dishonest and prejudice attitude that destroys the natural potentials of water and hydropower resources. At the same time, WAPDA quoted very strong views of the two committees appointed by the Government of Pakistan for dam site selection but these expert views were ignored by WAPDA.

Views of two committees on Katzarah Dam

“In a recent interview, former Chairman of Indus River System Authority (IRSA) Eng Fateh Ullah Khan Gandapur had termed the proposed dam the only way to resolve the current water and power crisis in the country. A bipartisan Parliamentary Committee led by former senator Nisar Memon and a Technical Committee led by A.N.G Abbasi—both having experts and parliamentarians from all provinces had unanimously called for the construction of Katzarah Dam as the top-most priority in 2005 to end political controversies over mega dams”.

WAPDA ignored the above views of the four provinces. WAPDA carried out incomplete, one sided, the so called pre-feasibility of Katzarah Dam in 2007 though it promised to Nisar Memon Committee to submit the technical aspect of the pre-feasibility report in September 2005. However, WAPDA ignored the technical side of Katzarah Dam simply “confirmed a potential to impound the average annual flow of Indus at 27 maf”. Surprisingly, WAPDA ignored the two dozens technical merits of Katzarah dam. It only pointed out one aspect of the submergence of houses, shops, graveyards, hospitals, schools, mosques, road, Shangrila Motel, archaeological sites consisting of mosques and graveyard. The pre-feasibility is all ridiculous to misguide the government and the public as WAPDA has hidden the meritorious technical side of the pre-feasibility report. It has completely ignored its unique technical features. Such dams are rare. This is not a feasibility report for a dam and cannot be relied on. The spectacular Katzarah dam site, in the narrowest Indus gorge, with bedside of about 400 feet, about 3 Km or so, on the upstream of Ayub Bridge, on the Indus is the gift of God. How can WAPDA ignore the following two dozen merits of the multipurpose and unique Katzarah Dam?

Unique merits of Katzarah Dam.

1.      It will control super floods in the Indus as of 2010.

2.      It will function as water shed management dam to prevent silt in the Indus water that comes from the highly erodible soil of Skardu valley that will be submerged. Katzarah if built will increase the life of Basha Dam from its estimated life of 80 years to 800 years. Also increase the remaining life of Tarbela Reservoir by about 50 years.

3.      Katzarah will be the tallest Dam in the world.

4.      It will be the narrowest dam in the world, with bed width of about 400 feet.

5.      Katzarah will have a life span of about 1000 years.

6.      It will be the cheapest dam in the world per maf of the storage capacity, per MW of power generation, per year of life span, and per year of its service value.

7.      Katzarah has a gross storage capacity of 35 maf, about 6 times the storage capacity of Basha Dam or Kalabagh Dam.

8.      It has the potential to produce 15,000 MW of hydropower generation capability only second to the Three Gorges Dam in China.

9.      Katzarah is the only dam to meet the 22 maf of storage water requirements of IRSA to implement Water Accord. The Accord is not implemented for the past 20 years.

10.  It will meet the Replacement storage of about 7.0 maf lost to silting of Tarbela and Mangla Reservoirs. This will replenish the storage lost due to silting, created under the Indus Waters Treaty.

11.  India has acquired the ability to store about 40 maf of water on Jehlum and Chenab Rivers in the occupied Kashmir, thus preventing flows for Rabi crop growing season. Our Rabi crop water requirements are 38 maf. India will deprive Pakistan of this quantity.                                         Katzarah will mitigate it to avoid famine. There is no other mega storage dam site in Pakistan except Katzarah.

12.  India has planned 12 dams on Kabul River for Afghanistan preventing Rabi supplies to Pakistan.

13.  Katzarah is a mega dam for the Water, power and food Security of Pakistan

14.  Katzarah has the potential to irrigate the entire Kachi plain of Baluchistan by gravity flow from Chashma Barrage as proposed by me in 1962, under the title “All Pakistan Grand Canal”.              

15.   Katzarah has many times more storage than the storage capacities of all the dams in Pakistan.

16.  Katzarah is a seasonal Dam. It will supply water when required most in lean period

17.  Katzarah is a carryover dam.

18.  Katzarah is the only dam to sustain the Indus basin irrigation system.

19.  Katzarah is the only dam in Pakistan to support the irrigation system to produce food and ensure food security as there are no dam sites on Kabul, Jehlum and Chenab Rivers.

20.  Katzarah Dam has the best Capacity Inflow Ratio in the entire reach of the Indus River.

21.  The Government should ask WAPDA, how would it meet the storage water requirements of 22 maf demanded by IRSA, 7.0 maf as replacement storage lost due to silting and other irrigation water needs besides water requirements to check sea water intrusion as demanded by Sindh.

22.  As far as hydropower generation is concerned, Katzarah would generate more power than the combined power generation from Bunji Dam, Dasu Dam, Munda Dam, Kurram Tangi, and Gomal Dam.

23.  Katzarah Dam would mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.

24.  Katzarah Dam will support artificial afforestation of the country.

25.  Katzarah would mitigate the serious situation created by India by building 32 dams on Jehlum and Chenab Rivers, stopping Rabi supplies to Pakistan, as revealed by the Report of John Kerry to the U.S. Senate. The report is as follows:-

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

27.  Katzarah is the only dam to meet this destructive situation. If WAPDA foolishly ignores Katzarah, then which dams would meet Rabi water requirements of about 38 maf to avoid famine? WAPDA should name the dams with assurance that they are feasible.

The nature of other dams in Pakistan

Bunji Dam, Dasu Dam and Munda Dam are mostly power dams. Gomal Dam and Kurram Tangi Dam have very small power generation, and small storage capacities. These are local dams. Kalabagh Dam is politically controversial and technically infeasible for its hydraulic design and weak foundation besides low power generation requiring 2000 MW of thermal power support. Akhori Dam, the off channel dam, has been declared infeasible by Dr Pieter Lieftnick in 1968 due to weak foundation, and many other reasons including the raising of the height of Tarbela Dam by 15 feet.

Guroh Dop Dam in Dir on Panjkora River is a wonderful, multipurpose dam with a storage capacity of 8.5 maf, generating about 600 MW of hydropower. It has excellent capacity inflow ratio. It has life span of 1000 years but is ignored by WAPDA. This dam has also the capability to store another 4 maf of flood water to be diverted through a tunnel from Chitral River by building a dam at Mirkhani and generate more power. Guroh Dop Dam is a wonderful flood control dam for Kabul River flow. Unfortunately this is again ignored by WAPDA though it is located only a few miles upstream of the single purpose Munda Dam.  

Three big Rivers have no storage dam sites in Pakistan.

It is unfortunate that there are no storage dam sites on Kabul River, Jehlum River and Chenab River in Pakistan. Therefore no flood control is possible on these rivers. This means Pakistan can only harness the Indus River flow. Indus River is therefore the backbone of the world’s largest contiguous Indus basin canal irrigation system. We must concentrate on the Indus River the life-line of Pakistan and on the unique Katzarah Dam. We must create Indus Valley Authority to develop water and hydropower potentials to the optimum limit on Indus river. WAPDA proved incapable to develop water and hydropower resources for food production in about 54 years of its creation.

The most promising dam sites in Pakistan are Katzarah Dam, followed by Guroh Dop Dam.  Mirkhani Dam, and the Raised Barrage-cum-dam at the end of the Indus River valley are their supporting dams. The raised barrage-cum-dam is a substitute for Kalabagh Dam.  The unique aspect of this project is that it requires no land acquisition, no land compensation and no displacement of population. Implement these four projects to save Pakistan from famine, hunger and death. Let the Government know that India has waged a silent war, using water as a weapon of mass destruction to ruin the Indus basin irrigation system.

WAPDA’s professional inability may be judged from the failure of the following mega projects, causing billions of rupees losses by abandoning projects.

1.      WAPDA failed to align the Kachi Kanal to command area in Baluchistan from Mithan Kot and as such abandoned it due to wrong planning.

2.      WAPDA planned Salinity control and reclamation projects (SCARPs) that failed to remove and control salinity and sodicity from the Indus basin canal command area as WAPDA did not know the technical definition of Drainage of irrigated lands to eradicate and control salinity and sodicity and maintain salt and water balance. WAPDA installed tube wells that pumped drainage effluent as groundwater to irrigate lands. This created more salinity. It did not provide horizontal sub-surface tile drainage to evacuate salinity out of the area as per the technical definition of drainage. WAPDA failed after wasting Rs 500 billions.

3.      WAPDA  planned National Drainage Programme (NDP) on similar lines but failed again wasting billions of rupees. Both the drainage projects were abandoned. The irrigation system is incomplete as its vital component of drainage system is missing. As such, it is subjected to rapid salinity. May be that in about 35 years the Indus basin turns as saline waste. If such situation arises, then irrigated agriculture would not develop as land and water are the basic and vital inputs of irrigated agriculture.

4.      The Indus basin irrigation system has no drainage system—a very vital component of irrigation system. Therefore salinity is spreading fast to destroy the fertile lands creating food insecurity that would result in famine and hunger.

5.      WAPDA selected dam site at Kalabagh, the end of the Indus River valley at a site that has the poorest capacity-inflow ratio, giving very short life as silt from a catchment area of 110,500 squire miles amounting to 550 million tons, equivalent to 0.3 maf, would be deposited in the reservoir. WAPDA wasted money and time and created status quo in dams building that caused super flood damages and crippling load shedding.

6.      WAPDA is now objecting to the construction of the unique Katzarah Dam on flimsy grounds, ignoring 22 maf storage water for IRSA, 7.0 maf to replace storage lost, 10 maf demanded by Sindh to check sea intrusion, and to meet Rabi shortages after India holds 40 maf water in dams in occupied Kashmir, not allowing the 38 maf of water required for growing Rabi crops to Pakistan. WAPDA ignores unique dam sites on the Indus and on Panjkora River.

7.      WAPDA never bothered to plan to carry out Integrated Comprehensive Water Management of the 150 years old, highly wasteful, incompatible and obsolete canal irrigation system to save 45 to 50 maf of water going waste.

8.      WAPDA never planned to control super floods in the Indus River and Kabul River.

9.      WAPDA has no strategy to counter the stoppage of rivers supplies of about 38 maf for Rabi crops by India who built 32 dams in occupied Kashmir.

10.  Ignoring all above realities, WAPDA has shelved the unique 35-maf Katzarah Dam and the multipurpose Guroh Dop Dam due to WAPDA poor planning capability.

11.  WAPDA has also ignored the project conceived by me for the Raised-dam-cum-barrage at the end of the Indus valley, storing 3.4 maf of water repeatedly to be filled, generating between 2000 MW to 6000 MW of hydropower besides acting as balancing reservoir and a unique substitute for Kalabagh Dam. This projects involves no land acquisition, no land compensation and no population displacement as the reservoir is within the Indus valley.

12.  WAPDA failed to align Kachi canal from Chashma barrage as proposed by me in April 1962 as All Pakistan Grand Canal, irrigating the entire Kachi plain of Baluchistan.

13.  WAPDA harmed the country much more than the war on terror by wasting time, money, and by destroying the natural resources of water and hydropower creating water shortage and food insecurity.

I feel our institutions have gone into deep coma as they have taken no action on my reports on dozens of water issues faced by Pakistan and on the report of John Kerry. I feel national interests are ignored. I feel our doom is near. A miracle can save the situation but miracles are rare. God will not help us by miracles as we do not help ourselves.

                   

Copt to:-

              The President of Pakistan, President House Islamabad

              The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Prime Minister House, Islamabad.

              The Minister of Water and Power, Pakistan Secretariat, Islamabad

              The Secretary Ministry of Water and Power, Islamabad.

              Advisor on Water, Ministry of Water and Power, Islamabad.

              Chairman Indus River System Authority (IRSA) Islamabad.

              Minister for Finance, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad

              Minister for Food and Agriculture, Government of Pakistan Islamabad

              Chief Minister Government of PK (NWFP), Chief Minister House, Peshawar

              Chief Minister Government of Punjab Lahore

              Chief Minister Government of Baluchistan, Quetta

              Chief Minister Government of Sindh Karachi

I have explained the serious situation of Water Security Power Security, Food Security, destruction of irrigated agriculture, silting of reservoirs, rapid salinity of land, wasteful and obsolete canal irrigation system, Indian aggression using water as a weapon of mass destruction against Pakistan, John Kerry report on water situation showing violation of the Indus Waters Treaty, India planning 12 dams for Afghanistan on Kabul River, Flood devastation of Pakistan and controlling floods in future, blockage of natural drains due to encroachments violating canal and drainage act of 1887 and the  Lack of Integrated Comprehensive Water Management wasting 45 maf to 50 maf of water in the incompatible and obsolete canal irrigation system, besides in floods.

To improve things, I suggest the institution of inquiry why WAPDA failed to develop land, water and power resources for which it was created. Why WAPDA adopted policy of “Kalabagh Dam or no dam” that resulted in devastating floods in 2010 and the never ending crippling load shedding that destroyed industries and business. I suggest shifting Water Wing of WAPDA to Islamabad as it was done for IRSA. I further suggest creating Indus Valley Authority to develop the Indus River on the lines of Tennessee Valley Authority. I suggest  solving all the water issues as pointed out above. For more details, each of the above water issue is discussed in my website  fatehuk.blogspot.com 

               

Pakistan Food Security lies in I.C. Water Management

Pakistan is facing many serious issues of water shortage, huge water wastage due to obsolete Canal irrigation system that needs Integrated Comprehensive Water Management of the total flow in Pakistan to save huge quantity of water. The country faces power shortage, rapid silting of reservoirs, salinity and sodicity of irrigated lands, flood devastation, lack of surface and sub-surface tile drainage system to control salinity, and the encroachment on natural drains by the people blocking their waterways. Pakistan is faced with food insecurity, climate change, India violating Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) by stopping Rabi supplies by building 32 dams, and building another 13 dams for Afghanistan on Kabul River. India will deprive Pakistan of its 38 maf of Rabi water requirements from the Western Rivers allocated to Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). It will subject Pakistan to famine by creating food insecurity.

Gone are the days when battles were fought for territories to build empires. Now wars are imposed, destruction wrought, to control sources of energy and minerals. And, in the near future war will become inevitable to protect or take-over water resources. South Asia is rated  likely theater for such violent conflicts.

Water security conference at LUMS, Lahore was of the views that Pakistan and India needed to worry more about their scarce water resource than about Kashmir and terrorism. Water resource is much more serious issue and will touch the lives of the entire population of both countries.

The UN’s Economic and Social Commission for Asia has placed Pakistan among the “water hot spots” of the region as the country is facing major threat of increasing water scarcity, deteriorating water quality, Climate change risk, and India stopping Rabi supplies of about 38 maf from the Western Rivers allocated to Pakistan.

Senator John Kerry report to US Senate

Senator John Kerry reported to US Senate “that India has acquired the ability to store enough water to limit the supply of water to Pakistan at critical moment in the growing season”. It is estimated that India has created about 40 maf of storage from its 32 number of dams and still more dams are under construction. The capability to limit the supply of water at critical times of growing Rabi crops, mean to turn the Indus basin canal irrigation system, the largest in the world, non-perennial. This means to create hunger and famine in Pakistan which means India will use water as a weapon of mass destruction. This obviously shows India has equipped itself for a silent water war. In such a situation, Pakistan has to take some action to avoid famine.

Gone are the days of conventional wars. Pakistan will have no option except waging a nuclear war that may lead to world war III. This may reduce and destroy earth’s atmosphere, creating super climate change by radiation. All nations on earth will suffer. The solution to this issue lies that occupied Kashmir, the source of waters for Pakistan should be handed over to Pakistan by giving freedom to Kashmiris. The UN failed to implement its resolution on Kashmir.

Pakistan now faces a big challenge how to manage water resources? The best, permanent and honorable solution is to hand over Kashmir to Kashmiris if justice and wisdom prevails in India. The second solution is to carryout Integrated Comprehensive Water Management for that India must contribute at least 50 per cent cost of all works like in case of Tarbela construction. India in violation of the IWT, created about 40 maf of storage. The Treaty only allows India to produce hydropower and can only store 4.19 maf of water. India should not deprive Pakistan of its Rabi supplies of about 38 maf. India should not limit the supply of water at critical moment in the growing season as reported by John Kerry. India should rather get wisdom from John Kerry report. India should only retain 4.19 maf of water as provided in the treaty. And, the third option is nuclear war when India and Pakistan both will be annihilated and the land and water becoming radioactive. This must be avoided and lesson learned from Hiroshima and Nagasaki destruction where mini hydrogen bombs were used.

The dire need is to control super floods by building Katzarah Dam, Guroh Dop Dam, and Raised barrage at the end of the Indus River valley, and Mirkhani Dam as part of water management. These dams will mitigate climate change, and make available water and hydropower. We should harvest rainwater all over the country, store melting glacier water, control rapid silting of reservoirs, control salinity and sodicity of soil as 15 million acres of fertile land has been devoured by salinity. Each year about 10,000 acres of land is lost to salinity each year.

Moreover, about one million small tube wells installed by farmers inject about 350 million tons of injurious salts from the groundwater drainage effluent. This is a very serious practice causing rapid salinity specially when there is no sub-surface tile drainage to eradicate and control salinity and maintain salt and water balance. Salinity can easily be eradicated and controlled by surface and sub-surface tile drainage that is missing. WAPDA two mega projects, namely SCARPs and NDP, badly failed for adopting wrong project concept. After this, WAPDA abandoned to provide drainage scheme to eradicate and control salinity.

We must modernize the 150 years old, highly wasteful, incompatible, and obsolete canal irrigation system. All these are the components of Integrated Comprehensive Water Management. Water is now becoming more precious than oil.

The irony of fate is that nobody knows the correct technical definition of Integrated Comprehensive Water Management while implementing it. Similarly, nobody knows the correct technical definition of Irrigation, drainage and leaching. For this reason all mega projects conceived, planned and executed by WAPDA failed. The survival of irrigated agriculture and food security depend on the implementation of Integrated Comprehensive Water Management (ICWM). I would therefore, give the definition of I.C. Water Management so that all mega projects for Water Management are executed according to the technical definitions.

Definition of I.C. Water Management.

“Water Management is defined as the combined processes of storage, diversion, conveyance, regulation, measurement, distribution and application of the rational amount of water at proper times and removal of excess water from the farms to promote increased production economically, in conjunction with improvement of agricultural practice and institutional arrangement”.

Let everyone understand this definition and follow it. The 150 years old, highly wasteful, incompatible and obsolete canal irrigation system needs modernization to meet crop water requirements in time and in proper dozes. The obsolete canal irrigation system is wasting 45 to 50 maf of water each year that must be modernized to save this huge quantity of water equal to 8 times the storage of Basha Dam or Kalabagh Dam. The modernization of canal system is necessary because of the climate change and India holding 40 maf of water in 32 dams built in occupied Kashmir. The violation of IWT will enable India, not to allow a drop of water for Rabi crops at the critical moment in the growing season as reported by John Kerry.     

From the definition of ICWM, it is apparent that Water Management is the combined process of many components and the use of water at proper time, in proper dozes and the removal of excess water by sub-surface tile drainage. Storage dams, surface and sub-surface tile drainage, and efficient network of irrigation system are the major components of ICWM. The canal system has become obsolete as revolutionary changes in cropping pattern and cropping intensity has taken place from the originally conceived Kharif Rabi ratio that equated crop water requirements of Rabi with Kharif for the canal design for getting a fixed and constant discharge. This fixed and constant canal discharge was needed to meet Lacy’s design requirements for regime flow conditions of non-silting and non-scouring. Modern irrigated agriculture does not require a fixed and constant canal discharge but a varying discharge to meet crop water requirements on the basis of consumptive use of water for higher intensity of irrigation and cropping pattern. A fixed discharge is incompatible with agricultural crop water requirements. It is either short or excessive and wasteful. Both are undesirable.

The Indus basin canal irrigation system has the capacity to carry 105 maf of water. Out of this, 50 maf of water is lost due to seepage, incompatibility of canal system, poor maintenance, evaporation, and wastage of water from one million miles of water courses. This wastage is equal to 8 times the storage of Basha Dam or Kalabagh Dam. The major source of wastage of water is the water courses. These need to be replaced by pipe supply to avoid wastage due to seepage, evaporation and theft.

The US Government was addressing issues including climate, health, water and food security at Global level and the dialogue was focused on water issue. As such, Maria Otero Us under Secretary said: US will support Pakistan to improve Irrigation system and carry out water conservation to overcome water scarcity. The Us Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has also committed to help Pakistan solve water issues. She offered cooperation in water data collection procedure. About two-third of world’s population would have to face water stress by 2025. In view it, Pakistan must arrange to carry out ICWM to save huge quantity of water as early as possible.

Moreover, India holding 38 maf of the Rabi supplies to Pakistan will subject it to famine, hunger and bloody revolution. It may lead to war with India for holding its Rabi supplies, using water as a weapon of mass destruction. Not only this, India has planned to build 13 dams on Kabul River for Afghanistan storing about 20 per cent of the total flow of Kabul River and stopping Rabi crop water requirements to Pakistan.

UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia observed that Pakistan is among the “water hot spot” of the region due to acute water scarcity, deteriorating water quality, and climate change risk. It is observed that glaciers are fast receding. It is estimated that in the next about 50 years, water flows in the Indus River would fast increase by about 60 per cent and then reduced to half. The only remedy to face this calamitous situation is to adopt measures to ensure the implementation of ICWM in true professional sense with all its components. This is the requirement for the survival of irrigated agriculture and food security for Pakistan.

After the construction of Katzarah,Dam, Basha Dam, Guroh Dop Dam, Mirkhani Dam and the raised-barrage-cum-dam the flow in the Indus River will reduce to a stream. Then, it will become easy to channelize the Indus River bed, reducing its 14 miles waterway to only about one mile or so. Huge land will be reclaimed on both banks of the Indus River and water losses will considerably reduce.  

Kirsty Jenkinson of world resources institute Washington said “Water use has been growing at more than twice the rate of population growth. Water is badly needed to produce food, fuel and fiber.

Use of Sprinkler and Drip Irrigation Methods

It has become necessary to change the traditional, wasteful method of irrigating lands by flooding method. It should gradually be replaced by Sprinkler and Drip irrigation method. It will save water that will irrigate more than two times the area irrigated by flooding method.

Land development under Gomal Dam on modern lines by adopting  ICWM

I strongly recommend irrigating the area under Gomal Zam Dam by Sprinkler and Drip irrigation methods, avoiding flood irrigation method. This practice must be followed in all new irrigation schemes especially where silt free storage water is used. Water by flood irrigation should therefore not be wasted as Sprinkler irrigation covers two times more area. It is suggested that the entire command area of Gomal Dam be leased out for rapid development on modern lines adopting ICWM measures, in partnership with the land owners, foreign investors/governments, specially the Arabs, and the government of Pakistan for a period of 40 years or so. I suggest this proposal because the land owners are very poor. They will not be able to develop their lands quickly on modern lines for years. On the contrary, the reservoir will silt every year, as no water shed management measures are adopted in the catchment area. Moreover, Gomal is a heavy silt carrying river.

ICWM to implement Water Accord and make IWT operative by creating storage.         

The Water Accord is not implemented even after 20 years to meet its water requirements of about 22 maf.  The Indus Waters Treaty has ceased to operate due to silting of Tarbela and Mangla Reservoirs by about 7.0 maf. It needs the implementation of ICWM to meet the water requirements of Water Accord and of the Indus Waters Treaty. The ICWM is the spinal chord of irrigated agriculture to produce food as well as achieve food security.

Thanks to John Kerry.

It has been observed that the United State knows more of our problems than we know our problems.  Pakistan must be thankful to John Kerry to reveal the fact that “India has acquired the ability to store enough water to limit the supply of water to Pakistan at critical moment in the growing season”. Analyzing John Kerry report, India acquiring ability to store enough water means India must have created about 40 maf of storage water, blocking Pakistan water requirements of 38 maf by building 32 dams. This is in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty, as India is allowed only 4.19 maf of water. The report confirms that India will hold Rabi supplies of water during the critical moment in the Rabi crop growing season”. Pakistan water requirements for Rabi season are about 38 maf. This means India will not allow a drop of water flow down to Pakistan at critical moment in the Rabi growing season. This undeclared water war will turn the irrigation system of Pakistan non-perennial. This will mutilate irrigated agriculture and create famine in Pakistan, as India will use water, as a weapon of mass destruction. Pakistan should go to International Court of Justice, to the Security Council, and to U.N. with the report of John Kerry, that India has violated the Indus Waters Treaty by creating 40 maf of storage. It is shocking that Pakistan’s organizations, the commissioner Water, and the Government of Pakistan remained unaware through-out 40 years of dam building by India on rivers allocated to us under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). Why Pakistan has not raised this vital issue is not understood. The fact is that the whole problem and the core of issues between India and Pakistan lie in the forcible occupation of Kashmir by India. In fact, all this is due to intentionally wrong partition, sowing the seed of conflicts. Why not remove it, and the two countries create conditions as between USA and Canada. 

Copy to

The President of Pakistan, President House, Islamabad. I may bring it to your notice the facts about multiple water issues created by ignoring water and power resources development.

The matter of food security under the circumstances as explained above is far more serious than load shedding, and terrorism. Famine may lead to bloody revolution. It may lead to war with India as India has built 32 dams in occupied Kashmir on rivers allocated to Pakistan, blocking our water requirements of 38 maf as reported by John Kerry, by storing about 40 maf of Rabi season flows to Pakistan violating the Indus Waters Treaty. Pakistan strangely remained ignorant. India will use water as weapon of mass destruction by waging silent water war. India has planned to build 13 dams on Kabul River in Afghanistan to stop more than 20 per cent of Kabul River flow to Pakistan. Nobody is paying attention to the serious issues of water and power shortage. It seems Government does not exist. The implementation of Integrated Comprehensive Water Management is the only solution to remove water and power shortage.

Is it not surprising that the second dam on the Indus after Tarbela will be built after (37+10)=47 years?. Are you informed that Tarbela and Mangla Reservoirs are silted up by 7.0 maf? Do you know The Indus Waters Treaty has become un-operative due to silting of Tarbela Reservoir by 5 maf? Do you know Water Accord is not yet implemented even after 20 years? Water Accord requires 22 maf of storage water, to implement its paras 2, 4. 6. (14e,) otherwise dispute between the provinces would continue.

Are you informed that Katzarah Dam on the Indus River is the tallest and narrowest dam in the world with storage capacity of 35 maf, six times larger than Basha Dam, with power potential to generate 15,000 MW of hydropower. This spectacular dam site is ignored by WAPDA due to conspiracy? Please be informed that there are no mega storage dam sites on Kabul River, Jehlum River and Chenab River in Pakistan. Kalabagh and Akhori dams both are technically infeasible. Bunji Dam, Dassu Dam on the Indus are power dams. Similarly Munda Dam is also power Dam. It is only the Katzarah Dam that can meet all the water and power requirements of Pakistan, besides controlling floods and silt flow.

Guroh Dop Dam is another multipurpose, mega dam with storage capacity of 8.5 maf, with power generation of about 700 MW. It will also store 4.0 maf of flood water of Chitral River  by diverting Chitral River water through a tunnel into Guroh Dop Reservoir after building Mirkhani Dam on Chitral River. This dam is necessary as India will store Kabul River flow to Pakistan by building 13 dams on Kabul River. Katzarah would increase the life of Basha Dam from its estimated life of 80 years to 800 years by stopping silt flow from the highly erodible soil of Skardu valley. The raised barrage-cum dam is another vital and ideal project at the end of the Indus River valley that will produce 2000 MW to 6000 MW of power on the run of the river, storing 3.4 maf of water that would repeatedly be filled. The unique feature of this project is that it does not require land acquisition, and land compensation. It does not involve population displacement. It is an ideal substitute for Kalabagh Dam.

Is it not surprising that no steps are taken to protect against devastating floods as of 2010, destroying 22 percent of Pakistan? Such floods can be repeated again and again due to climate change. No remedial measures are taken to control silt in the Indus River water to avoid rapid silting of reservoirs. No sub-surface tile drainage is provided to control salinity and sodicity in the Indus basin. The lands are becoming infertile invisibly and gradually. The waterways of all the natural drains are blocked due to encroachments in violation of the Canal and drainage Act of 1887. This has destroyed Sindh due to rainwater standing. Sindh has become the drainage bowl of the country as there are no infrastructures to drain off rainwater.

Copies to   

The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Prime Minister House Islamabad

The Minister for Water and Power, Ministry of Water and Power, Islamabad

The Secretary Water and Power, Ministry of Water and Power, Islamabad.

Advisor on Water in the Ministry of Water and Power, Islamabad.

The Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Pakistan Secretariat, Islamabad.

Please take necessary action to develop water and power resources and solve all water and power issues as mentioned above. I have informed the Government not once but at least 80 times since 1960 by sending proposals and writing letters to develop the natural resources of the country. Pakistan is rich in these resources. It is the Governance failure not to develop these resources.  No one even acknowledges the letters I sent them. I do not know what other steps should I take to awake the sleeping authorities except requesting the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take suo moto action directing the Government to implement Article 38 (a), (b), (d) of the Constitution that is violated.

Copy to

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Islamabad.

Request for suo moto action for violation of Article 38 (a) (b) (d) of the Constitution since 1974 by the Government organizations

For creating the above water and power issues due to continued negligence, I only feel that it is the Supreme Court of Pakistan that can give relief by awakening the inert government. It is surprising that none of the organizations performed their duties to the country and did not care for the well-fare of the people by developing land, water, and power resources, the people of Pakistan are facing hunger and death, flood devastation, load shedding and no jobs, therefore, I approach the Supreme Court of Pakistan under great compulsion for suo moto action, why Government failed not to develop these huge natural land, water and power resources which are in abundance. The Government failed not to build multipurpose dams in time, and no water management is done to save wastage of water, it therefore resulted in floods, water wastage, water shortage, food insecurity and load shedding causing billions of dollars loss. Salinity has already devoured 15 million acres of land, and is devouring 10,000 acres of land each year for lack of sub-surface tile drainage. WAPDA drainage projects of SCARPs and NDP planned on wrong lines failed twice.

The people are suffering miseries on these accounts. Instances are that the people are compelled to sell their children and commit suicide.  The State is responsible for creating this ugly situation. It is surprising no dam is built on the Indus for (37+10 for Basha) = 47 years after Tarbela. Basha will take 10 years to build. The lack of responsibility may lead to hunger, and death, may incite bloody revolution. I humbly request the Supreme Court to direct the government to break the 47 years long status quo for not developing Water Resources of Pakistan that are criminally wasted, creating food insecurity. The Supreme Court of Pakistan is requested to suggest some law or binding on the Government not to ignore required developments and avoid crisis of these nature.  

Article 38 (a) (b) and (d), of the Constitution is violated for failing to secure the well-being of the people, provide facilities for work and adequate livelihood to meet the basic necessities of life, such as food, clothing, housing, education and medical relief. Failure on the part of respective Governments since 1974 created awful situation. They ignored Constitutional provision to protect the life of the people from the incoming hunger, causing death, and floods devastation besides load shedding. The motto for Roti, Kapra our makan is met by hunger, clothes-less and shelter-less.

Unique Substitute for Kalabagh Dam

  

A unique design concept of unrestricted low-level silt sluicing flexible hydraulic structure is developed for “creating valley storage in rivers with steep slope” to mitigate power shortage, water shortage, super-flood alleviation and climate change that involves no land acquisition, no land compensation, and no population displacement. It is also a mid-term, unique and feasible substitute for

 Kalabagh Dam.

I suggest long life, far more beneficial to all provinces, non-controversial, technically feasible, mid-term, fast track, and a unique design concept for valley storage in rivers with steep slope by building a raised barrage to avail site potential at the end of the Indus River valley. The raised barrage would consist of low dam-cum-barrage at elevation near 700 feet with in the Indus River valley at its end. This hydraulic structure will serve as unique substitute for Kalabagh Dam—an astonishing coincidence.  It will give low-level unrestricted free flow passage to super floods, to evacuate heavy sediment out of the reservoir.

The concept is to build about 100 feet low-dam at the bed level of 700 feet at the end of the Indus valley to function as dead storage and to gain height for the raised barrage up to elevation 800 feet. On the crest of this low dam a 50 to 60 feet high conventional barrage be built to function as an unrestricted low-level silt sluicing hydraulic structure to evacuate silt out of the reservoir. It will create about 3.4 maf of gross storage at El 860 feet, that would repeatedly be filled, as the Indus flow at this site is about 90 maf. The low-dam-cum barrage concept is only possible in a valley and not in plain. The unique feature of this barrage is that no land acquisition, no land compensation and no population displacement is involved by the storage created. The storage reservoir will occupy no-man-land.

Another unique feature is that it is problems free, has more aggregate storage by repeated filling than Kalabagh Dam, more power generation capability, and needs no thermal power support as in case of Kalabagh Dam. The unique feature is that it will give unrestricted passage to supper floods, evacuates complete silt, and has no adverse effect on Peshawar valley. Rather the barrage may be able to irrigate lands in Laki Marwat area of Bannu district by tunneling the mountain. The possibility may be investigated to know the ground reality.

 Surprisingly, the reservoir maximum retention elevation of 860 feet is 100 feet lower than the reservoir retention level of Kalabagh Dam (KBD). The height of low dam-cum-barrage is 100+60=160 feet where as the KBD height is 260 feet.     

The barrage would end 37 years long, lunatic, status quo and political, and technical controversies on hydraulic design of KBD for silt sluicing going on between the KBD consultants and WAPDA, because of wrong and ordaining TOR. Refer to Volume N, Appendix N of the project feasibility report. The status quo over KBD prevailed because of wrong TOR and wrong selection of dam site where the Capacity-inflow ratio is the poorest on the Indus and perhaps in the world thereby creating silt evacuation problem and backwater flow in Kabul River valley. The CI ratio clearly indicates that the site is for a barrage and not for a dam. The controversy and status quo on KBD resulted in no dam building for (37+10 years for Basha)=47 years that resulted in darkness in the country by crippling load shedding that now seems to be a permanent fixture if four multipurpose, mega dams on the Indus at Katzarah, Guroh Dop Dam on Panjkora River and Mir Khani Dam on Chitral Rivers are not built with-in 10 years from now. Moreover, flood of 2010 destroyed 22% of Pakistan. Flood phobia persists and may visit any time and many time. According to a newspaper, peak shortage of power touched 6800 MW. WAPDA Chairman revealed that power need by the year 2030 would be 130,000 MW.

Status quo for not building mega dams in time resulted not only in crippling load shedding but in super-flood devastation of one-fifth of Pakistan and in water shortage for agriculture, creating insecurity for food and grounds for famine, hunger and terrorism.

 I, after conducting research on “valley storage”, suggest a unique and multipurpose raised barrage to allow unrestricted low-level silt sluicing design for hydraulic structure, to store water, generate power, and evacuate silt. The raised barrage is an unrestricted low-level silt sluicing structure, giving free passage to super-floods and to the evacuation of silt out of the reservoir. The KBD Project consultants did not agree with restricted mid-level silt sluicing design suggested by WAPDA, as silt deposited upstream of Attock gorge would not be evacuated.

 I first gave this suggestion for the raised barrage in 1994, when I was Chairman IRSA, 17 years ago. It went un-noticed as water development was out of vision.

          

The project conceived is a combination of a low dam-cum-barrage all confined to the Indus River valley. The storage created by the 60 feet raised barrage at the end of the Indus River would be about 3.4 maf. The reservoir full supply level at El 860 will be with in the valley few miles on the downstream of Attock gorge. It is even zero storage extending up to El 880 in the valley. Even at El: 900, it is .06 maf. The storage gives no obstruction to free flood flow. The Indus River annual run-off at the site of barrage is about 90 maf. The reservoir would repeatedly be filled (3+3…) maf.

The barrage project will not cause inundation of Peshawar valley as it allows unrestricted passage to sever flood flows. The sediment load from a catchment area of 110500 squire miles at this site is 540 million tons, equivalent to 0.3 maf annually, that will be evacuated.

The project would be acceptable to the Government of KP and other provinces as it is equally beneficial to all. However, Sindh and Baluchistan will get assured water distribution facilities at critical time of crop sowing from the unique barrage. Punjab and KP will get power royalty equally. All provinces would get improved irrigation facilities. 

The barrage storage will serve as balancing reservoir between power generation and irrigation water conservation. The project can start at once and completed with in about 3 years. The reservoir will silt up to elevation 800 (crest of low dam) in four years time. Storage between elevation700 to 800 feet of about 1.17 maf, is dead storage, and between 800 to 860 is live storage. Only the barrage will be visible on the upstream. The project would generate hydropower between 2000 MW to 6000 MW on run-of-the-river with Power Houses located on both banks.

The project will be a unique water regulating and water distributing pivotal structure for IRSA. The cost of the project would be about $ 3.0 billion dollars. The project would give breathing time by immense relief to power shortage, flood havoc and water shortage till four mega dams are built, that is Katzarah, Basha on the Indus, and Guroh Dop dam on Panjkora River with storage capacity of 8.5 maf. The fourth dam is at Mirkhani on Chitral River, its floodwater will be diverted through a tunnel to the catchment area of Guroh Dop Dam.

I wish the Government get the credit of implementing this unique barrage without loss of time. The proposed substitute will also cool the craving for KBD for that the country suffered unending load shedding, and flood devastation of 22% of Pakistan.

Afforestation of mountain range from the Indus River Lake to mitigate climate change

Another benefit from the raised barrage project is that nominal water from the Lake created at the end of the Indus River valley can be pumped for the afforestation of the mountain range along both banks of the Indus River in a length of about 90 miles. This is to mitigate climate change. Similar action can be taken on Tarbela Reservoir for growing forest on its banks.

                    

    

Copy to;

Secretary Water and Power, Islamabad

Advisor on Water, Ministry of Water and Power, Islamabad

Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Planning Division, Islamabad

Chairman Indus River System Authority IRSA, Islamabad

Minister for Water and Power, Islamabad

Prime Minister of Pakistan and

The President of Pakistan, President House, Islamabad for information

The delay of 37 years for not building Basha Dam whose feasibility was completed in 1981, the second dam on the Indus, after completion of Tarbela in 1974, adding another 10 years delay for Basha Dam completion, comes to 47 years. No dam, for 47 years would cause a direct and indirect recurring economic loss of $200 billion per year. So far it resulted in crippling load shedding, devastating floods of 2010, water shortage creating food insecurity, no jobs, rising prices and lawlessness, creating no source of living. As a consequence some people committed suicide, and some selling their children. Terror originated due to no job and no ROTI. Poor governance for the past about 40 years is responsible for corruption. Justice is costly and late. It should be quick and cheap. I wish some patriotic Advisors and known experts guide the Prime Minister and the President to improve things in each profession, and not the sycophants and charlatans as they misguide them. There is dire need to change laws for good governance and to develop natural resources of land, water and hydropower for irrigated agriculture to produce food, secure jobs as provided in the Constitution Article 38.

The coming Food crises

The Problems:                                

The International Food Policy Research Institute has warned, classifying Pakistan as a State that faces “serious hunger threat”. Pakistan faces breaking problems due to colossal Water Mismanagement in spite of abundant water and excellent land. About 45 to 50 maf of water is wasted due to seepage, and incompatibility of the 150 years old canal irrigation system with present crop water needs. The old canal irrigation system running a fixed discharge for low cropping intensity has become incompatible to meet water requirements of higher cropping intensities and cropping pattern. It needs Water Management and canal system modernization, including replacement of water courses by pipe supply.

 Pakistan wastes about 35 maf of water in floods on the average. It means we are wasting about 80 maf of water that is equal 13 times the storage capacity of Basha Dam. The Canal Irrigation System needs modernization to avoid all wastages. After building Katzarah and Basha Dams, the 14 miles wide Indus River bed, needs channelization to save water and reclaim land, beside preventing theft of water from the Indus River in Sindh and Punjab. 

The terrible wastage of water is not realized by the closed mind attitude of WAPDA. WAPDA never paid attention to Water Management to save huge quantity of water wasted and remove water shortage. The breaking problems that will cause hunger are shortage of Water and Power, rapid silting of reservoirs, devastating super Floods as of 2010, crippling load shedding, wasteful, incompatible and obsolete Canal Irrigation System, and food insecurity to cause hunger, and revolution, increasing salinity and sodicity in the Indus basin. The salinity problem is due to lack of Drainage system, a missing vital component of Irrigation. WAPDA wrongly conceived and executed SCARPs and NDP, the two mega drainage schemes, that badly failed as WAPDA did not know the technical definition of drainage of saline land. The increasing salinity will almost make the Indus basin infertile in about 40 years. President F.M. Mohammad Ayub Khan declared salinity as enemy number one of Pakistan. There is no use of water if lands get infertile due to salinity.

 Moreover, there is unchecked encroachments on natural drains in the country in violation of the Canal and Drainage Act that turned Sindh as the Drainage Bowl of the country. There is no spinal drain with defined waterway to quickly drain rain and flood water to sea but it flows in sheet-form very slowly standing for months.

Besides these problems, huge quantity of floodwater is wasted to sea damaging lands en-route because of no dam built on the Indus for 47 years (37+10). This negligence by WAPDA resulted in no increase in cropping area for the last many decades to meet ever increasing food requirements. This lapse is leading to hunger threat. The cultivable area can easily be increased more than 100 per cent including the entire Kachi plain of Baluchistan.

 The 22 per cent of Pakistan devastation by 2010 floods, and the crippling load shedding, has occurred for not building Katzarah and Guroh Dop dams by WAPDA since I discovered them and reported in early 1962. WAPDA stubbornly stuck to Kalabagh Dam creating 47 years long status quo in dam building. This created breaking problems including food.

Sindh is destroyed by rains in 2011 because there is no spinal drain and the drainage system. The natural drainage system is encroached and occupied by the people in violation of the Canal and Drainage Act. The encroachments on the huge drains in Sindh like Paran and Hakro are examples. Therefore flood and rainwater flow in sheet form, and is retained for months destroying crop land. Again, this will create food crises.

Three Savior Dams not known to WAPDA provides solution to many issues

Pakistan is faced with do or die situation. The rescue to water and power problems lies in 35-maf unique Katzarah Dam, the multipurpose 8.5 maf Guroh Dop Dam, and in a unique Raised Barrage, all the three initiated and discovered by me.

The unique raised barrage-cum-dam at the end of the Indus River valley

 The raised barrage is a short term relief project to ease water and power shortage. It is an excellent and feasible substitute for the controversial and technically infeasible Kalabagh Dam. The raised barrage on low dam will not silt. It will produce 2000 MW to 6000 MW of hydropower on run-of-the-river and create a reservoir of more than 3 maf to be repeatedly filled as the river flow at this point is about 93 maf. The reservoir will be confined to the Indus River valley few miles short of Attock gorge. This project does not involve land acquisition, land compensation and population displacement. Power houses would be located on both banks of the Indus, distributing royalty equally between Punjab and KP. The Possibility to irrigate the Laki Marwat area from the Lake may be investigated. The raised barrage project would serve as balancing reservoir if more power generation is required at Tarbela without wasting irrigation water. It will be an excellent water regulating reservoir to meet Rabi crop water requirements. Sindh and Baluchistan would benefit to get water during keen demand period. The raised will be completed with-in 3 years at one-sixth cost of Kalabagh Dam. It is a short to medium period hydropower generation project to be followed by Katzarah and Guroh Dop Dams. The prosperity of Pakistan including food security lies in the immediate implementation of these three projects by any means. I would call these 3 dams as the Three Savior dams of Pakistan.

Promulgation of Law in the National Assembly to build

the Three Savior Dams

A Law in an emergency situation may be passed in the National Assembly to implement the Three Savior Dams by what-ever means and measures adopted to avoid hunger and power riots due to power shortage to protect Pakistan from the incoming bloody revolution. This is more serious for us than the mercenary war on terror. These three savior dams of Pakistan will protect Pakistan against hunger. It will protect Pakistan, against super floods like of 2010, and heavy rains of 2011, make available hydropower, remove shortage of water and power, remove crippling load shedding, boost food production, control silting of reservoirs and increase life of reservoirs including increase in the life of Basha Dam from about 80 years to 800 years. It will meet the 22 maf storage demand of IRSA to implement Water Accord. It will save the world largest Canal irrigation system going non-perennial or run-of-the-river system when India diverts Rabi supplies. Beside this, there is no mega storage reservoir on the Indus after the silting of the existing reservoirs including Basha Dam. IRSA demand of 22 maf of water cannot be met without Katzarah Dam.

The huge demand of 22 maf of storage cannot be met because there is no dam site on Kabul river in Pakistan, no dam sites on Jehlum and Chenab Rivers and no mega storage on the Indus, except Basha and Katzarah. This means Pakistan has no mega storage dam sites besides Basha and Katzarah. The Bunji Dam, the Dassu Dam and the Munda Dam are power dams with nominal storage capacity. The off channel Akhori Dam is declared as infeasible by Dr Pieter Leiftnick in 1968 but WAPDA sticks to the infeasible project. Kalabagh Dam is made politically controversial by WAPDA, and technically controversial by the Kalabagh Dam Consultants who did not agree to the wrong hydraulic design of restricted mid-level silt sluicing imposed by WAPDA in the wrong TOR on the Consultants. Moreover, Kalabagh Dam will produce poor hydropower generation due to wrong hydraulic design therefore WAPDA directed the Consultants to provide compensatory installation of 2000 MW of Thermal power plant in support of hydropower, that is mockery of professional planning. Those who recommend Kalabagh, Akhori and Munda Dams have no knowledge of their feasibility status, and their multipurpose functions, and are unaware of the three Savior dams of Pakistan. A 250 feet high Akhori Dam is declared infeasible by Dr Pieter Lieftnick in1968 due to weak foundation and for many other reasons. It also involves raising Tarbela Dam by 15 feet.

Indian Water aggression to control Rabi flows of the Indus, Jehlum, and Chanab Rivers to turn Indus Basin Irrigation System as non-perennial

Refer to US Senator John Kerry report that “India has acquired the ability to store enough water to limit the supply of water to Pakistan at critical moments in the growing season”. John Kerry has said, India built 32 dams where as other reports say 81 dams. Considering only 32 dams on our rivers, India would approximately usurp by holding at least 30 maf of our live storage, and about 10 maf of dead storage. This will have devastating effect on Rabi crop in Pakistan as our Rabi water requirements are about 36 maf. This means Chenab and Jehlum Rivers flow to Pakistan would almost be dry. Rabi and early Kharif crops would totally suffer as we have no storage to meet water requirements for Rabi crop. India also proposed to build 12 dams on Kabul River.  Katzarah Dam is the only solution to remove Rabi water crisis, and meet this devastating challenge to avoid famine and hunger.

 Pakistan Indus Waters Commissioner was unaware while India built 32 dams if not 81. There were no efforts to watch Indian activities for years. It is vital that the Indus Waters Commissioner head quarter should be shifted to Islamabad for a watch by the Ministry. The damage is done by India, but damage done, and damage yet to be done, would be by WAPDA by recommending infeasible Kalabagh, infeasible Akhori and power Dam Munda. Kalabagh and Akhori are infeasible dams. They are not the solution. Munda is single purpose power dam. Anybody who wants to know and seek advice should come to me. I give open invitation to all engineers in national interest for preparing a plan and policy for optimum development of water and hydropower. WAPDA is warned not to commit blunder after blunder to create crises after crises and now the nation faces hunger threat as reported by International organization.

 The Ministry should ask WAPDA to reply to these crisis creating issues

Can WAPDA advise the Government where to create 22 maf of storage water demanded by IRSA to implement Water Accord and remove acute shortage of water and hydropower? Let WAPDA name the dams with storage capacities, their life spans and feasibility status besides their functions. Has WAPDA any plan to control the rapid silting of reservoirs as it is feared the Indus basin irrigation system may turn non-perennial with-in 80 years due to silting of all reservoirs? Has WAPDA any drainage plan to save the Indus basin from increasing salinity and sodicity due one million small tube wells injecting about 350 million tons of injurious salt from the groundwater drainage effluent in to the fertile lands each year? The use of saline drainage effluent for irrigation is prohibited under the drainage Act but WAPDA did not object to this practice and failed to provide fresh water. Has WAPDA any Water shed Management plan to control silt in the Indus River. The lands in the Indus basin are turning saline and saline sodic gradually and invisibly. This would render the Indus basin infertile and cause famine and hunger. It is surprising Why WAPDA failed to locate the multipurpose Guroh Dop Dam lying only 7 miles upstream of the single purpose Munda Dam that is only meant for hydropower generation?                  

           

Please refer to the daily DAWN dated September 23, 2011, under the title “15000                                                                               MW Dam shelved by WAPDA”. The shelving of Katzarah by WAPDA shows its obstinacy in spite of no storage dam sites in Pakistan to support Irrigation System to produce food except Basha Dam and Katzarah Dam. WAPDA has ignored the unique and multipurpose 35 maf Katzarah Dam for petty environmental reason that some area would be submerged. Please note that Basha will silt up with in 80 years then there would be no storage dam site in Pakistan to support the Indus basin Irrigation system. WAPDA must indicate which dams are proposed to be included in its vision programme? It is a matter of life and death. The water situation would not improve even after the construction of Basha Dam as the existing reservoirs gross storage would silt up by 7.0 maf. Basha storage is only 6.0 maf. Therefore the building of 35-maf Katzarah is unavoidable. It is in fact the Savior dam of Pakistan.

It seems WAPDA has no foresight to foresee all this. It only knows to create controversies, like in Kalabagh Dam and now in the unique Katzarah Dam-- the “savior dam of Pakistan”. Katzarah Dam is recommended by Nisar Memon Parliamentry Committee and by AGN Abbassi Technical Committee besides the Government of Sindh that asked for Katzarah Dam construction. Refer to The News dated June 30, 2009. It appears there is no one to supervise WAPDA working that ruined the country due to its inefficiency and lack of planning of technically sound projects.

In spite of enough water and excellent fertile land, Pakistan is among the most hungry nations. The International Food Policy Research Institute fired warning shot at Pakistan, classifying it as a state that faces “serious hunger threat”. The institute said Pakistan is the only one country in the world that does not have any Federal body dealing with food issues. It said food security is not an exclusively agriculture phenomenon. It further said Pakistan needs 500,000 tons additional wheat every year to feed its ever-increasing population. It is surprising that the cropping area has been stuck with no increase in the last many decades. Pakistan can increase cultivable area by 100 per cent if Katzarah Dam is built. This dam will irrigate the vast Kachi plain of Baluchistan. WAPDA proved technically incapable as it unsuccessfully and wrongly executed Kachi canal alignment two times.

   

Due to shortage of funds, it may be considered to postpone the construction of Munda Dam and Basha Dam and go first for building the long term Katzarah Dam and the short term Raised Barrage on emergency basis. This may be difficult but the situation demands it.

Single-minded WAPDA tries to create another controversy on Katzarah Dam to misguide the Government and create fears in the minds of the local people

WAPDA’s stubborn attitude in ignoring Katzarah Dam is anti development and non-professional as it has not pointed a single technical drawback in it. WAPDA is exploiting and using minor environmental matter to shelve the 35-maf Katzarah dam capable of producing 15,000 MW of hydropower. Moreover, Katzarah will act as Water shed Management Dam to prevent silt from the highly erodible soil of Skardu valley that rapidly depletes reservoirs due to silting. The Ministry of Water and Power is requested to make an inquiry why WAPDA initiated infeasible mega projects of drainage, storage, and canal that failed or are made controversial like KBD and now Katzarah. WAPDA would ruin the development of the country, cause hunger, famine, power riots and revolution. The ridiculous reasons given by WAPDA to shelve Katzarah Dam are as follows:

WAPDA said that Katzarah Dam if built would submerge population of Skardu, houses, shops, hospitals, schools, graveyard, mosques, shingrila Motel, 40 Kilometers road. It said, Katzarah Dam will have negative effect on Satpara Dam and on the archaeological sites, forts etc. The air strip will also come under water. All these are funny arguments to oppose Katzarah Dam. WAPDA ignored the unlimited benefits of the Savior Dam- like the unique Katzarah that solves all water, power, food, and sediment issues. The minor environmental aspect may be weighed with the colossal prosperity that Katzarah would bring besides giving protection against famine, hunger, flood devastation, and remove water and power shortage besides preventing the rapid silting of reservoirs and country wide power riots.

Looking to a dozen of water and power problems becoming more and more serious day by day, it becomes direly essential that Water Wing of WAPDA be shifted to Islamabad as did IRSA. WAPDA failed to work independently. WAPDA alone with one Member cannot solve these gigantic and complicated issues under a non professional Chairman. It needs a set up like IRSA. WAPDA needs close cooperation and coordination with IRSA who has 5 high ranking Members, the Planning Commission, the Ministry of Water and Power, Ministry of Agriculture, and other expertise in the field. Moreover, Chairman WAPDA, as per IRSA Act Section 4(9) is ex-officio Member IRSA. As such, he is required to be a Water Resources Engineer governing a huge professional organization. This is the reason to make him Member IRSA to contribute. The non-professional Chairman WAPDA never attended IRSA meetings that is in violation of the IRSA Act. All this shows governance failure. Moreover, corruption has diverted attention from professionalism to monetary gain.

It is not the duty of WAPDA to shelve a mega project as infeasible or feasible on its own. WAPDA duty is to investigate both technical as well as environmental aspects of the project. WAPDA has not investigated the technical aspects of the unique Katzarah Dam besides the other two savior dams. WAPDA is fanning minor environmental aspect, misguiding and befooling the people and the Government. It is for the Government to meet water and power needs of the country. It is for the Government to make decision on technical merits to build or not to build a dam. In case of Katzarah, WAPDA exaggerated the minor environmental aspect of the project. WAPDA is either unaware or shuts its eyes to the unique, multipurpose, numerous benefits of Katzarah Dam. These facts show WAPDA’s recommendation are one sided, wrong, and unreliable. It also shows professional dishonesty. WAPDA basically is a contracting agency and not planning agency. In case of KBD, WAPDA forced a wrong TOR on the Kalabagh Consultants that created political and technical controversies that destroyed Pakistan by a 47 years long status quo in not building dams that resulted in crippling load shedding and devastating floods of 2010. It will now cause food crises. The power crises may touch 9,000 MW short fall. Katzarah is the answer for removing these crisis.

 I hear, out of frustration some advocates are planning to approach the Supreme Court under Article 38 of the Constitution to take suitable action against Government organizations for failure to check floods, procure food, and generate power that caused crippling load shedding. The global Hunger index 2010 developed by the International Food Policy Research Institute declared Pakistan as a State that faces “serious hunger threat”. Pakistan has not developed its natural resources to produce food and generate power to end load shedding and remove the fear of hunger. It is the right time for the Government to declare the construction of the three Savior Dams and create a name in the history.