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-floods 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 Fateh 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 Fateh 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 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 almost no land acquisition, no land compensation and no population displacement is involved by the storage created. The storage reservoir will occupy no-man-land within the reservoir.

Another unique feature is that it is problems free, has more aggregate storage by repeated filling of reservoir than Kalabagh Dam, more power generation capability, and needs no thermal power support of 2000 MW as required for 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 7000 MW. The Pakistan observer dated 29 July, 2012, reports that “Pakistan lost $18 billion due to energy crises in the last three years”. How to meet this national crisis as Government and its concerned machinery are still fast asleep as the faulty projects of KBD and Akhori Dam proposed by WAPDA show, especially when the unique multipurpose projects of 35 maf Katzarah Dam, 8.5 maf of Guroh Dop Dam, Raised Fateh Barrage and Mirkhani Dam as proposed by me since 1990-91 are rejected by WAPDA and the so called its advisors. Water and Power development should be free of dirty politics creating infighting.   

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 Fateh 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 50 days restricted mid-level silt sluicing design suggested by WAPDA, as silt deposited upstream of Attock gorge would not be evacuated and that would cause backwater flow in Peshawar valley.

I first gave this suggestion for the raised Fateh 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 at elevation 860. The reservoir full supply level at El 860 will be within the valley few miles on the downstream of Attock gorge. At El 880 feet the storage is 4.4 maf with in the valley. At El: 900, the storage is about 6 maf extending up to Attock Gorge. Please refer to Kalabagh Dam capacity curve. Fix economical storage as desired. The storage gives no obstruction to free flood flow to eveacuate silt. The Indus River annual run-off at the site of barrage is about 90 maf. The reservoir could repeatedly be filled.

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. NWFP may irrigate Laki Marwat area. 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 if built up to El 860. Storage between elevation700 to 800 feet of about 1.17 maf, is dead storage, and between 800 to 860 is all time 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, that is in NWFP and Punjab both.

The project will be a unique water regulating and water distributing pivotal structure for IRSA. The cost of the project would be about $ 2.5 to 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, Raised Fateh Barrage 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 which the country suffered unending load shedding, and flood devastation of 22% of Pakistan.

Warning: Because the Raised Fateh Barrage project is unique and feasible, therefore WAPDA would definitely avoid it, to go for Akhori-another off-channel controversial and infeasible project, ignoring multipurpose projects on the main Indus.

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

Another benefit from the raised Fateh 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.

Engr. Fateh Ullah Khan Gandapur

B.Sc. Engg; (Distinction in Dams & Reservoir Engineering)

M.ASCE (USA) FIE (Pak)     Former Chairman IRSA

Author of 2 books on science and Quran.     1. God, Universe & Man; The Holy Quran & The Hereafter

 2. God Created The Universe With The Purpose To Server Human Kind

Address:    H# 30-H2, Main Road, Phase-2, Hayatabad, Peshawar-PAKISTAN   Tel: +92  91  582  4918   Mob: +92  300  592  0641

Email:   (fatehuk@gmail.com) ( website    fatehuk.blogspot.com)                           

     

Copy to;

Secretary Water and Power, Islamabad

Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Planning Division, Islamabad

Chairman Indus River System Authority IRSA, Islamabad

Minister for Water and Power, Islamabad. Deputy Chairman Planning Planning Commission 

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 is a crime against the nation.  Adding another 10 years delay for Basha Dam completion will further aggraravate agonies. 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, and 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), 38 (a) to (d).

Sanjwal-Akhori Dam site

There is a general trend by WAPDA to select dam sites at random without caring for Capacity-inflow ratio to have long life span, unlike the Kalabagh Dam. WAPDA selects dam sites on political grounds that becomes controversial besides problematic. After committing blunders, WAPDA sticks to it, creating status quo indefinitely like as of Kalabagh. A dam site on a river should be given priority that should have multipurpose functions with long life span. Each dam on the upstream of a river supports the dam on the downstream by prolonging its life span besides producing hydropower, controlling floods and silt, and help proper development.  

WAPDA selects faulty dam sites, ignoring their multipurpose merits, like in case of Akhori, the indirect reservoir off the natural channel. Akhori is almost single purpose off-channel storage dam. This shows WAPDA has no vision to find dam sites on the mighty Indus. Therefore the country is deprived of many functions of direct reservoir. Indirect Reservoir has no silt control function. Indirect reservoir is unable to mitigate floods like the direct reservoir. Basically Akhori is not a power project. It’s a water project. We direly need multipurpose power project to remove crippling load shedding and control flood. There is therefore dire need of direct storage dams on the Indus like the 35 maf unique Katzarah Dam followed by Raised Fateh Barrage as the genuine substitute for Kakabagh Dam.

Please note, there are no dam sites on Kabul River, Jehlum River and Chenab River. Indus is the only river that is the life line of Pakistan and the 35 maf Katzarah Dam is the key to all of Water, Power, Silt, and Floods problems. Indus River multipurpose potentials must be given top priority by its early construction to remove shortage of power, and water, besides controlling crippling load shedding and flood havoc as of 2010 and control silt. Pakistan is hard hit by climate change. Indirect reservoirs should be given the last priority if found feasible. I warn of floods like of 2010. Floods will visit again and again as climate change is severe and unpredictable.

WAPDA may note that Dr Pieter Lieftnic Head of the World Bank Team in his report in three volumes “Water and Power Resources of West Pakistan” volume I page 269 and 292, rejected Akhori Dam due to serious foundation problems and, other considerations. As such, Akhori Dam was superseded by Gariala Dam.

Akhori Dam was proposed on Haro River, with a height of 250 feet, creating a gross storage of 3.6 maf, and live storage of 3.3 maf. This was proposed fearing that Tarbela Reservoir will silt up soon as it has poor capacity-inflow ratio. The length of Akhori Dam would be 15,800 feet. Dr Pieter Lieftnick report Volume I, page 269 states that “inordinate amount of earth moving would be involved and that serious foundation problems would be encountered at each site”. Cut-off grouting would be required along the axis of Sanjwal Dam, the embankment of which would be 12.5 miles long and extensive treatment would be required at Akhori. In view of this and other considerations, Akhori project was deemed less favorable than Gariala”, page 269. Dr Lieftnick report says, “Akhori is superseded by Gariala”.(Page 292).

 In spite of all these serious faults WAPDA selects the next dam at Akhori with a height of 420 feet against the original height of 250 feet to bring early doom of water and power- a blow that an enemy will not inflict.

Ignoring all these serious drawbacks WAPDA is going ahead with Akhori Dam with a raised height of 420 feet against 250 feet. This shows political influence. Sindh will not agree to Akhori Dam, specially for its location in Punjab in view of mistrust already prevailing. Besides this, water diversion for Akhori Dam and water diversion for Ghazi Barotha Channel will render Indus River reach from Ghazi Barotha to Attock absolutely dry. The people on the downstream will seriously suffer. River water rights cannot be denied to the area of NWFP by diverting the river flow in this reach.

Dr Pieter Lieftnick report pages 265 and 266 reports that,

“In recognition of high rate of depletion of storage capacity at Tarbela, various proposals have been put forward by the Pakistan authorities for auxiliary (side-valley storage) reservoirs on the Haro and Soan Rivers which would be filled by the diversion of the Indus water through canals from the Siren Arm of Tarbela Reservoir. A study of the proposal, however, suggests that the cost of dams considered in connection with the cost of conveyance canals, would make construction of side-valley storage project as expensive, than as reservoirs on the main stem of the Indus”.

 This means that only the cost of conveyance of water system will be equal to the cost of dam. The raised Akhori Dam will cost three times more than a dam on the main stem of the Indus River besides many other complications. Dr Lieftnick reports:   

“For any such undertaking, Tarbela would have to be built to elevation 1565 feet in order to facilitate the transference of water across the divide. Also because diversion would be possible only when Tarbela Reservoir might be full or nearly full, it would be necessary to fill Tarbela as soon as possible each flood season.” page  266. Will rise in elevation of Tarbela by 15 feet will be possible? Raising by 15 feet will submerge vast area.

 “A canal with a capacity of 76000 cusecs with ancillary structures including dams, siphons, aqueducts, bridges and culverts would be constructed from the Siren Arm of Tarbela Reservoir to Jabba Kas River, a tributary of Haro River for storage at Sanjwal Akhori site” page 266. “The operation of the conveyance would be complicated by the fact that it will be empty for some nine months in each year. Maintenance cost would particularly be heavy”. Page 268.

 Moreover, Akhori is single purpose storage dam with almost no power or nominal power component to generate electricity. There is dire need for hydropower, therefore multipurpose dams producing hydropower should first be built on the main stem of the Indus River rather indulging in complicated, single purpose storage dams on side-valley. There is news in today’s paper, dated 29^th June, 2011 wherein WAPDA chairman said that load shedding would continue till 2018 and that power demand by the year 2030 would be 130,000 MW.

I believe, load shedding would continue till Katzarah Dam, Basha Dam, Raised Fateh Barrage, Guroh Dop Dam and Mirkhani dams are built. Bunji Dam and Dasu Dams are also vital. It is senseless to propose off channel Akhori and call it alternative to Kalabagh. The alternative to Kalabagh is Raised Fateh Barrage on the Indus. The present shortage of power is a backlog of the past 46 years for not building any multipurpose dam. The concerned authorities were busy in Kalabagh controversy, therefore status quo in dam construction prevailed for (36+10)=46 years. This resulted in water shortage, crippling load shedding and devastating floods of 2010. Now Akhori will replace Kalabagh in controversy.

It is surprising no one critically studied the Kalabagh consultants report for its infeasible hydraulic design of 50 days restricted mid-level silt sluicing to evacuate silt. KBD consultants recommended 100 days unrestricted low level silt sluicing. Exactly is the case of Akhori Dam, as no one studied Dr Pieter Lieftnick report, who rejected Akhori Dam due to serious foundation problem.  Refer to The Water and Power Resources of West Pakistan.             

It is shocking to know that Dr Pieter Lieftnick rejected Akhori Dam on sound technical grounds even then WAPDA appointed local consultant to prepare a fresh feasibility report for a greater height of Akhori Dam to store more water and generate little power. The new proposal for Akhori is that the height of the dam is raised from 250 feet to 420 feet, to create 7.0 maf of storage reservoir in place of 3.6 maf. The length of the dam with high embankments would increase to 25,000 feet.

To fill the originally proposed reservoir of 3.6 maf, a canal with 76000 cusecs was required. It is surprising to note that Akhori Dam that is infeasible due to serious foundation problems for a height of 250 feet, how can it be feasible for a height of 420 feet, to create 7.0 maf storage? The new proposal will require a conveyance canal with a discharge of 150,000 cusecs to fill it. Will that much water be possible to divert in two to three months time? Will a channel virtually equivalent to a river waterway be possible to built to convey water? What would be the consequences of such diversion on Ghazi-Barotha Power generation, and on the water rights of the downstream people in NWFP? The cost of project would be unbearable. The channel would remain dry for 9 to 10 months a year with heavy maintenance cost.

Akhori will follow the example of failures of first Kachi canal, drainage projects of SCARPs, NDP, and selecting controversial project of KBD.  

I believe, it may not be possible to fill the reservoir of 7.0 maf storage capacity during the monsoon. Moreover, elevation of 1565 feet for the diversion of water may not be able to maintain for three continuous months of monsoon period.

The construction of single purpose side-valley reservoirs should be the last option when all the direct reservoirs on the Indus are silt up. First, direct reservoirs should be built as they are multipurpose, cheap and easy to build. When all direct storage sites are exhausted, then consider the side-valley storage. The side-valley reservoirs are three to four times more costly than direct reservoirs. Moreover, side-valley projects are problematic. 

The most difficult and alarming aspect of side-valley storage is a condition that Tarbela reservoir should be raised by 15 feet (1550+15) = 1565 feet for the transference of water It is yet to be examined, if it is technically, and environmentally feasible to raise the height of Tarbela Dam by 15 feet. Moreover, the consequences of raised Tarbela Dam shall have to be examined, how much area is going to be submerged under the raised reservoir? How many people would be displaced? The cost of compensation may be worked out. The raising of Tarbela Dam is yet another technical hurdle of the side-valley storage besides its cost.      

Copy to,

Secretary Water and Power, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad

It is requested that WAPDA may be asked if they have read Dr Peter Lieftnick report on Akhori Dam that it is superseded by Gariala Dam and that Akhori has serious foundation problems. Moreover, it requires raising the height of Tarbela Dam by 15 feet to elevation 1565 feet for the diversion of water from Tarbela Reservoir to fill Akhori. Will it be possible to raise the height of Tarbela Dam? How much area will it inundate? Will it be possible to build a dam with a height 420 feet when foundation for a dam with 250 encounters serious foundation problems? Has WAPDA studied the effects of diversion of about 150,000 cusecs of water on power generation of Tarbela Dam and Ghazi Barotha power channel? Will it be possible to constantly maintain elevation of about 1565? Akhori is a single purpose dam. We need multipurpose dam to generate hydropower.

Please arrange study of the adverse effects of single purpose Akhori Dam that suffers from many problems as reported by Dr Pieter Lieftnic Head of the World Bank Team to Pakistan who investigated dam sites and other water and power developments schemes. Pakistan cannot afford to build infeasible and controversial dams and waste time. Multipurpose dams must be planned on technical merits to have long life span, control floods and silt and generate power.

Chairman IRSA Government of Pakistan. The authority is created for regulating and monitoring the distribution of water resources of the Indus River and to provide for matters connected therewith and ancillary thereto. IRSA has to play the role of a monitor for monitoring the water resources in selecting long life storage dam sites, as it is a connected and ancillary matter. This is what the IRSA Act Preamble reveals.

Pakistan is woefully unprepared for new floods. The 2010 devastating floods can be repeated any time and many times. I therefore suggest building of the 35-maf multipurpose Katzarah dam as Katzarah will control floods in the Indus, and the 8.5 maf multipurpose dam at Guroh Dop on Panjkora River to control floods in Kabul River. There is no remedy to control floods other than the combination of the two dams as proposed. Akhori is out of line and irrelevant under this situation.

The real alternative to Kalabagh Dam is the Raised Fateh Barrage as already suggested by me and not Akhori Dam rejected by Dr Pieter Leiftnic Head of the World Bank Team specially appointed to identify and investigate dams sites indicating their pre-feasibilities besides Water Resources Development Schemes.  .

Water Development in Pakistan suffered heavily due to Geopolitics

Water development in Pakistan suffered heavily due to Kalabagh Dam controversy, provincial water disputes between Sindh and Punjab for the last about 70 years, and due to water dispute with India for the wrong partition of India and the forcible occupation of Kashmir where the origin of all rivers originate.  The provincial water dispute was settled in 1991 under the IRSA Act in the shape of Water Accord Agreement between the provinces. To implement Water Accord, Indus River System Authority IRSA was created in 1993. Water Accord para 13 states that IRSA is created to implement Water Accord.

Surprisingly, no financial and administrative powers were given to IRSA to implement Water Accord, meet water requirements of paras 2, 4, 6, by creating 22 maf storage dams and to carry out Integrated Comprehensive Water Management (ICWM) to implement para 14(e) to avoid all wastage of water. The ICWM will save 40 maf to 50 maf wastage of water in the highly wasteful, incompatible and obsolete canal irrigation system that is 150 years old.  The result is that water dispute between the provinces continued in spite of the Water Accord due to continued shortage of water for no dams. WAPDA has created no storage since the completion of Tarbela Dam Reservoir in 1974.  

Due to Kalabagh Dam controversy, WAPDA created status quo and built no storage dam for the last 38 years. Basha will take another 10 years if funds are available. Basha feasibility was established in 1981, even then Basha was not built. This means no dam for the last 48 years on the Indus due to the obstinacy of WAPDA.

The dispute on Kalabagh Dam is due to political controversy, and technical controversy between WAPDA and the project consultant. Project consultant did not agree with the hydraulic design dictated by WAPDA under the tailored TOR to provide 50 days restricted mid-level silt sluicing hydraulic design. The consultant recommended to provide 100 days un-restricted low-level silt sluicing hydraulic design to evacuate silt out of the reservoir. WAPDA design gives very short life span due to heavy and rapid silting. Silt flow at Kalabagh Dam site from a catchment area of 110,500 squire miles is about 540 million tons equivalent to 0.3 maf. Moreover, the dam site selected at the end of the Indus valley is wrong as capacity inflow ratio at Kalabagh Dam site is the poorest in the world. It is 6:93 besides many other reasons and some more technical flaws given in my blog.

WAPDA gave tailored TOR to the consultants. Such TOR imposed on consultant was not found feasible. The KBD consultants gave technically very safe hydraulic design to evacuate silt but WAPDA disagreed and wanted to impose its own hydraulic design. WAPDA hydraulic design will not evacuate silt out of the reservoir. Rapid silt will be deposited upstream of the Attock gorge that would cause severe backwater flow in Kabul River that will cause,  flooding of Nowshera city and Peshawar valley.

The ugly KBD controversy continued for 48 years. Even now WAPDA is adamant to build another dam and resists not to consider other unique and multipurpose dams, like the 35 maf Katzarah Dam, the 8.5 maf multipurpose Guroh Dop Dam and even the unique substitute for Kalabagh Dam, in the form of 4.4 maf Raised Fateh barrage, replacing Kalabagh Dam.  The dam-cum-raised Fateh barrage was initiated by me and suggested to the Government in 1994 when I was Chairman IRSA. No one cared. Even now KBD controversy is as severe as before.

The result of disputes, controversy for 37 years on dams and the prevailing lunacy resulted in the devastation of 22 per cent of Pakistan most developed area by the historic floods of 2010, causing losses worth billions of dollars and the crippling load shedding of worst type rendering more than 70 % industries idle. Economic life in Pakistan ceased, causing billions of dollars loss. People are on the verge of revolt. The Water Accord is continuously un-implemented. The miseries will only end if four dams proposed by me are built. For all these matters please refer to my blog titled fatehuk.blogspot.com

There is yet another water dispute between India and Pakistan created after the wrong partition of India. This is because the hydrologic unit of Kashmir, from where all Pakistani rivers originate is forcibly occupied by India. The Indus Waters Treaty between Pakistan and India was executed in 1960. Under this Treaty, Pakistan surrendered perennial water to India that was irrigating vast area in East Punjab of Pakistan. This is because canal Head works on the three Eastern rivers, Ravi, Sujles,and Bias went to India. In replacement to the perennial water surrendered to India, Pakistan was given time-based storage water (non-perennial) by building Tarbala Dam, Mangla Dam and network of link canals transferring water of one river to the next to feed the area of East Punjab of Pakistan deprived of its centuries old water rights. Water dispute is created with India due to wrong partition of India.

 While implementing the IWT, during the period of 37 years Tarbela Dam and Mangla Dam are silted up by 6.5 maf. This rendered the Indus Waters Treaty inefficacious as replacement storage at Tarbela and Mangla reservoirs to feed Eastern area of Pakistan is lost to silting of the reservoirs. Storage is the basic and integral component of the Indus Waters Treaty. The question is, Who will replenish the lost storage? This issue is disputable. It needs settlement.

Beside the above, India is allowed to create hydropower on run-of-the-river on our rivers, namely the Indus, Jehlum and Chenab Rivers. India has mis-used this facility by building 56 hydropower projects including mega dams on our rivers. By doing so, India played hidden and ill-legal trick by creating more perennial, live storage than as allowed. This live storage water is hidden in the technical terms of Pondage, Pondage level, Operating pool, surcharge storage, and run-of the-river wrongly defined in the Appendix –D of the IWT. This illegal storage is not detected by Pakistan till I pointed out. Under the guise of these definitions more live storage is created by India and India has acquired the ability to limit the supply of water at critical moment in the growing season. This has created fear of war. India is allowed 2.85 maf storage under the Treaty on the Western Rivers. The Government of Pakistan may request India to let Pakistan know, how much live storage India created in the 56 hydraulic structures including mega dams? Commissioner Water revealed in a meeting that India has built 56 hydraulic structure including mega dams whereas Senator John Kerry has mentioned 32.  Please read my several articles in my blog on the IWT.

Surprisingly, this illegal storage created was confirmed indirectly by Senator John Kerry in his report to the US Senate. An excerpt from John Kerry report is;

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

Pakistan Rabi crop requirement is 36 to 38 maf. This will be adversely affected as India has control on it.  The additional live storage has created insecurity of water for our Rabi crop. This is done with the intention to use water as a weapon of mass destruction creating famine, hunger, death and genocide. John Kerry feared Water war (nuclear) that is not in the interest of USA and the whole world. This must be avoided by the UN, and Kashmir should be handed over to Pakistan to avoid the possibility of nuclear war and maintain peace in the region. It is not possible for Pakistan to live without water. Pakistan will not be able to sustain its largest contiguous canal irrigation system in the world. This would create food crisis.

My blog will help research workers as the blog contain about 100 articles on all aspects of water issues and their solutions. Nearly 7700 thousand research workers have visited the blog throughout the world till this date. I believe I am the only water resource engineer in Pakistan, who created such a blog only a year back that help scholars in their research work but Government is not taking its benefit. My blog will serve as guidance as it contains 55 years experience of water issues of Pakistan. All research workers can select articles of their interest out of the 100 articles. All research workers are requested to study articles of their interest in the blog. Many Research workers have requested me to advise them.  

Regarding my professional background, and experience, please find it in my book titled “God created the universe with the purpose to serve humankind”. Write the title of my book and my name (google) , you will get the book on internet revealing similarity and agreement of Quranic verses revealed 1442 years ago with the most modern and established science laws. This book gives details of my professional background and experience in its introduction.

  2. The prestige and efficiency of WAPDA has drastically dropped since 1974 onward. It has become politically dominated organization and is at the lowest ebb of professional efficiency. It abandoned Kachi canal alignment wrongly planned by it, it failed in its mega project of Salinity control and reclamation project known as SCARPto evacuate salinity out of the Indus basin and maintain salt and water balance in the soil. After this failure, WAPDA wrongly conceived and planned National Drainage Programme (NDP). This too failed. Finally, the idea of providing Drainage System is abandoned though Drainage is the integral component of irrigation system. WAPDA made Kalabagh Dam controversial, it delayed dam construction for 48 years that resulted in shortage of water, flood havoc of 2010 and crippling load shedding.

Now WAPDA is trying to make Katzarah Dam, Guroh Dam and Raised Fateh Barrage controversial by informing people, that their area will be submerged by dams. WAPDA is creating fear in the mind of those whose area would be submerged. WAPDA has become inefficient, corrupt, feels no responsibility and has become incapable to conceive, plan and execute mega projects. Chairman WAPDA is not Water Resources Engineer. He is, either  General,  politician or a retired civil bureaucrat. This is strange, and shows political domination. Please, read my various articles in the blog.

3.  I have discussed some points of the Indus Waters Treaty as above. For more see the blog.

4. The Water Accord has not been implemented during the past 20 years as storage is not created. The provincial water disputes continue. There is dire need to implement para 2 of the Water Accord in which 117.35 maf of water is distributed between the provinces whereas, water available to the system is 90 maf to 95 maf.  Moreover, paras 4, 6, and para 14(e) of Water Accord require immediate implementation to meet 22 maf of water required by IRSA to implement Water Accord. In a way, IRSA has not proved successful to end disputes so far, till more storage is created to settle water disputes. This needs financial and administrative powers for IRSA besides close cooperation of WAPDA with IRSA. This needs shifting of WAPDA Head quarter from Lahore to Islamabad and the appointment of experienced Chairman WAPDA. I believe for this reason, the Chairman WAPDA is made ex-officio Member IRSA with no power to vote. Please refer to IRSA Act.

5. During 1994, when I was chairman IRSA, water shortage was the main problem that I faced. I therefore repeatedly suggested the immediate construction of the unique, 35 maf Katzarah Dam, the 8.5 maf, multipurpose Guroh Dam and the 4.4 maf, Raised Fateh Barrage. I discovered 12 mega dams in Pakistan during 1959 to 1961. Fateh Barrage was conceived by me in 1994 to settle water disputes and Kalabagh controversy, but the lunatic controversy on Kalabagh Dam replacing it by the Raised Fateh barrage as its substitute is not considered so far. Please refer to my blog for all these projects. Lack of interest by the Government, by its organizations, and scarcity of fund and no water policy are the reasons for failure to build new dams as suggested by me.

6. No. People are steeling about 16 maf of water from the Indus River indirectly in the river reach from Chashma to Kotri. This is also the cause of shortage of water shortage that creates water dispute. The people have installed unauthorized tube wells near the bank of the Indus River. There is no watch on such theft by the provincial Governments and IRSA as politicians are involved. Refer to my blog. WAPDA telemetry can serve no purpose as this theft from the Indus is indirect, via the groundwater pumping.

7. Kalabagh Dam site was wrongly selected as it has the poorest capacity inflow ratio with short life span. Moreover, WAPDA gave tailored TOR to the Project consultant, imposing a wrong hydraulic design. The KBD consultant did not agree. They suggested a design based on the concept of barrage to  evacuate silt. WAPDA did not agree to the design of consultant. Besides this, the project has become politically controversial due to several other reasons. Please consult my blog for my articles on KBD and on Raised Fateh Barrage. The KBD controversy cost the nation, flood devastation of 2010, crippling load shedding, water shortage and failure to implement Water Accord. I conceived Raised Fateh Barrage, a unique substitute for KBD to settle the mad controversy. For this purpose, I recently held three meetings with the Government of Pakistan and allied professional organizations including WAPDA. Let us hope something good comes out of it. Delay in the construction of dams is criminal as the remaining part of storage in Tarbela and Mangla Reservoirs will soon silt up.“death of the reservoir starts the day it is built”. We cannot afford to waste time as we have already wasted 48 years by not building the second dam on the Indus though we have lost 6.5 maf of storage due to rapid silting. 

8 . No. I cannot suggest who can give such information. For Indus Waters Treaty, the responsible man is the Commissioner Indus Waters based at Lahore. This organization was sleeping all the time since 1960 when India built 56 hydropower projects and is building more. This organization has not pointed out that Tarbela and Mangla Reservoirs are silted by 6.5 maf and requires replenishment.

It has also not pointed out the hidden live storage in the technical terms that are wrongly defined in the Treaty in its Appendix-D. Please see my articles for details. For example, pondage means still water, but  the Treaty defines it as live storage.                             

Engr Fateh ullah Khan  Gandapur                                                      

Former Chairman IRSA.

 Mobile  (0300 5920641), Islamabad line No: (051 2106387),   Peshawar line No: is ( 091 5824918)

Copy to Secretary Water and Power, Government of Pakistan.

 Please refer to your letter No. W1-4(20)/2011 dated May 31,2012. Subject: Articles written by Mr Fateh ullah Khan Gandapur.

 Riaz Ahmad Khan Advisor will be submitting his repot to you after conducting three meetings on these issues held in IRSA Office. I submit this report for your information. I thank you for noticing these issues and directing Riaz Ahmad Khan to hold meetings.    

 It is requested to take suitable action as things are getting worst. Power shortage has created hell, floods have destroyed the country, floods will destroy again and again, water shortage is a great threat to cause famine, silt destroys the storage, water disputes are growing, controversies created by WAPDA have stopped water and hydropower development, food shortage will cause revolt. Everyone is in agony. WAPDA attitude towards the development of water and power remained very poor. WAPDA failed for not building dams on the Indus for a period of 37+1o=47 years itself is a crime, because people suffered due to 2010 floods and the crippling load shedding. I request the Government to take notice of water and power woes.

Copy to Chairman IRSA.

 All these problems are required to be solved with the coordination of IRSA, as control on Indus River water falls under the regulation and distribution of the water of the Indus River system as provided  under the IRSA Act. Moreover, Water Accord paras 2, 4, 6, and 14 (e) requires IRSA to implement these paras. Integrated Comprehensive Water Management is the answer to our water and power issues and to avoid all losses of water as provided in para 14(e) of the Water Accord. WAPDA has failed as it created controversies and a long status quo. Therefore Water Accord could not be implemented.

Copy to Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Government of Pakistan.

Planning Commission is a supreme body consisting of top intelligent individuals in all fields. I request them to help by bringing these devastating issues to the personal notice of the President and the Prime Minister who are in dark.

 There is no Water Development Policy. We cannot utilize our great natural resources. Article 38 of the Constitution requires to develop these resources to provide food, clothing, housing, medical facilities, education and other human needs. Please advise the President and the Prime Minister that credit will go to their Government if multipurpose 35 maf Katzarah Dam, 8.5 maf Guroh Dop Dam and 4.4 maf Raised Fateh Barrage are approved for construction.

 Katzarah Dam will create 35 maf storage equal to six times the storage of Basha or Kalabagh, control 100% flood in the Indus, generate hydropower and control silt in the Indus River water that comes from the highly erodible soil in the Skardu valley. This finding is reported by Dr Attaullah appointed by the World Bank to investigate the source of silt in the Indus River water. Katzarah Dam if built shall serve as Water shed Management Dam. Basha Dam life will increase from 80 –90 years to 700 years if Katzarah is built. Katzarah has unique narrow dam site in the world. Katzarah cost is not more than Basha. WAPDA has intentionally avoided preparing Katzarah technical feasibility though Nisar Memon committee directed WAPDA to prepare it at once. WAPDA promised to prepare it by September 2005. WAPDA did not comply as it cannot see any other dam than Kalabagh.          

To,

Riaz Ahmad Khan, Advisor, WAPDA, Lahore

Sub: Proposal to finance the Unique multipurpose dams to support irrigated agriculture, industries, produce food, control floods and remove woes of water, power, floods and rapid silting.

It was desired by you that I should give my suggestions how to finance these four vital projects therefore I give suggestions as follows.

 For the sustenance of the nation, suffering from many awful calamities like the crippling load shedding, the devastating flood havoc of 2010, shortage of water, shortage of hydropower, and non-implementation of Water Accord for 20 years, rapid silting of reservoirs losing 6.5 maf storage, the country needs protection from these issues by financing and implementing Katzarah Dam, Raised Fateh barrage, Guroh Dop Dam, and Mikhani Dam storage diversion.  These dams were discovered by me during 1960-61 when I was on deputation to WAPDA. No one took notice of these dams for more than 50 years. Now, the issue of financing these projects has arisen as the Government is unable to finance therefore,  other sources shall have to be found and attractive Water Policy be implemented.  

At present there is 35 per cent water shortage and 8500 MW of power shortage, closure of about 70 per cent big and small industries and the devastation of 22 per cent of the developed area of Pakistan caused by the floods of 2010 and the rapid silting of reservoirs by 6.5 maf. All these sufferings happened for not building these dams in time. All these accumulated water and power woes shall have to be set right by implementing the four life saving dams. Finances shall have to be arranged and water policy made to attract financing as Dubai has done

These water and power woes can only be set right if the four projects, namely, the unique, multipurpose, flood control 35 maf Katzarah Dam on the Indus, and the multipurpose, flood control, 8.5 maf Guroh Dop Dam on Panjkora River, in combination with Mirkhani Dam diverting Chitral River water to the catchment area of Panjkora River to control floods in Kabul River besides the generation of hydropower by these dams. Katzarah, Basha and Raised Fateh Barrage will completely control floods in the Indus and the stored water would be used for irrigated agriculture.

The fourth project of Raised barrage is at the tail end of the Indus River valley, at about Elevation 700, over lapping the Kalabagh Reservoir.  This project was initiated by me when I was Chairman IRSA in 1994. This project is very important from many technical points of view besides ending lifelong damaging controversy. It is a unique replacement and a unique substitute for the highly, emotional controversial, Kalabagh Dam. Raised Fateh Barrage can easily store 4.4 maf of water perennially, if built up to elevation 880. It will store 3.4 maf of water if built up to elevation 860 as originally proposed by me. It can store up to 6.2 maf if built to elevation 900 but I would like to avoid this. A wonderful feature of Raised Fateh Barrage is that its hydraulic design is unique. It can serve as balancing reservoir. This barrage will give all time perennial storage water as it has no silting problem. The concept of Raised Fateh barrage is in agreement with the concept of Chas T. main of special low level sluices. Refer to KBD Project report June, 1988, page 3.9, para 3.31. On the other hand, Kalabagh Reservoir is time-based storage due to heavy silting. The death of reservoir starts the day it is built. Therefore avoid rapid silting of reservoirs. Few excerpts on silting from the KBD project report are quoted.

The role of silt in KBD

Reference is invited to KBD Project report 1988, page 3.5, para 3.17. The excerpt is;

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

Refer to KBD Project report, June 1988, page 3.9, para 3.31 The excerpt is;

·       “Chess T. Main considered special low level sluices to achieve very low level draw down. In this case power generation must be discontinued. Thus economic penalty is large”.

Chas T. main by special low level sluicing means a barrage that evacuates silt.

Refer to KBD Project report on page 3.5, para 3.17. page 4.12, para 4.57, page 3.9, para 3.31

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

·       “The future distribution of sediment can be predicted in general terms only, and local  behavior will depend on actual sediment inflows, reservoir operation, and local flow pattern”.

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

Please examine the tailored TOR for KBD that made it controversial

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

Please read and find the inside purpose of this ridiculous TOR given by WAPDA. It is wrong to impose conditions on the consultant. He is restricted from the sound proposal.

Financial side of these projects and land compensation 

The Government has no money to finance these vital life savior four projects. Therefore, there is no alternative but to create own finances or continue suffering from various calamities.

·       The displaced population must immediately be compensated as they will make sacrifice for the18 crores of population of Pakistan.

·       Justice demands that when the displaced persons give sacrifice, the remaining 18 crores of population must pay the cost of compensation in the form of contribution for the construction of the four life saving projects. This contribution will be like toll tax on Motorway.

·       The income from power royalty from these projects must be shared with the displaced persons for 40 years or so.

·       WAPDA be asked to float bonds by offering attractive profits.

·       The Head of the State should appeal to the nations of the world to contribute and finance the four life saving projects. The nations of the world helped Pakistan after it was hit by the calamities of floods and earthquake. Let they help during the calamities and before the calamities hit Pakistan again. This would save Pakistan from colossal loss as caused by the 2010 floods, crippling load shedding and the earthquake that hit Balakot in 2005. All the help would be on humanitarian basis.

·       The four projects may be implemented through public private partnership, local or foreign.

·       Sometimes back, Saudi Arabia requested Pakistan to give land on lease so that they develop it and use it for food production to meet their future food needs. Please offer this proposal to Arab world to finance these projects and get their share.

·       All shopkeepers, bureaucrats, advocates, industrialists, farmers, plaza owners, traders may contribute for 10 years to finance the life saving projects to avoid load shedding, floods, and other calamities

·       The zakat funds may be transferred to finance these four projects. AT present most of these funds are wasted.

·       About 90 per cent of all development projects must stop. Money given to MNA and MPA must stop. All programs like Benazir support program must stop as all such people that get help would be benefitted by the four dams. Jobs will be created.                   

·       Terrorism that is due to poverty will be removed from Pakistan if these projects are implemented

·       Finance expert may be consulted how to finance these projects.

Beginning may be made with the Raised Fateh Barrage. It is a short term multipurpose project, requiring short time to built, costing about $ 2 billion. The hydropower income from this project may be spent on the remaining three projects. Almost all investigation made for KBD apply to this project. The residential colony built for KBD can be used by this project.

Engr Fateh ullah Khan  Gandapur.                        Dated June 23, 2012

                       

To

            The Secretary Water and Power,

            Ministry of Water and Power, Government of Pakistan,

            Islamabad.

Subject: Articles written by Mr Fateh ullah Khan Gandapur

Irrigated Agriculture has two basic inputs. These inputs are Water and Land. In three meetings of the committee, the Chairman of the committee Engr Riaz Ahmad Khan Advisor has very methodically conducted the issues, discussing all technical aspects of each issue of water woes. I discussed dire necessity for implementing  Integrated Comprehensive Water Management and the modernization of the wasteful, incompatible and obsolete canal irrigation system besides commenting on the IWT. I found agreement on all water issues. The Chair thoroughly grasped the issues and further elaborated these.

However, WAPDA representative, as usual expressed opinion not to build all dams under discussion as population would be displaced, though these projects are technically very sound, he said. WAPDA therefore ignored and did not discuss the technical aspects of these issues.

 I suggested immediate compensation of the displaced population as there is no other alternative for removing the woes faced by Pakistan. Let the Government decide what is in the interest of the State and feeding and protecting the 18 crores population. WAPDA should not thrust its one sided decision, but solve issues on technical merits and in greater national interest. WAPDA forgets displacement of population by controversial dams recommended by it, like KBD, Akhori, where as, Munda, Kurram Tangi are local dams with very small storage and the population is also displaced by them. It is not the duty of WAPDA to reject unique dams by getting support from the population of the affected area after creating fear in that area. WAPDA should investigate technical merits and demerits of the project. It is the duty of Government to make decision which dam to built, in greater national interest.

 WAPDA opposition to these dams without technical reasons is traditional. WAPDA blunders can be judged from the failure of Kachi Canal from Mithan Kot, Failure of SCARPs, Falure of NDP, selecting wrong dam site at Kalabagh with poorest CI ratio making it controversial for 37 years and now propagating against these new unique dams. As WAPDA failed twice in providing vital drainage system, therefore it abandoned to provide the right type of drainage system, an integral part of irrigation system. All these blunders are committed by WAPDA because no notice of these failures was taken by the government. I therefore suggest to shift WAPDA Head quarter to Islamabad to work in collaboration  with IRSA. IRSA Head quarter was also shifted from Lahore to Islamabad  

It is surprising that all Governments including the Government of Pervaiz Musharraf, were kept in dark by WAPDA. Katzarah Dam site was not pointed out to the Prime Minister when he was laying the foundation of Basha Dam. The Technical Committee of Abbassi and the Parliamentary Committee of Nisar Memon and the Government of Sindh and NWFP recommended to buid Katzarah Dam but WAPDA ignored all this. Is this not betrayal? Similarly WAPDA objects to Guroh Dop and Raised Fateh barrage that population will be displaced though technically these are very sound projects. It is therefore necessary that WAPDA should work under the supervision of Government at Islamabad.  

Mr M.H. Siddiqi, consultant, an experienced and competent irrigation engineer of Punjab irrigation Department appreciated my proposals of new storage. He also suggested that an international neutral water expert should be hired to prioritize the construction of proposed dam sites discovered by me and find their merits and demerits. The Chair also endorsed the proposal. 

The interest of 18 crores population and their requirements must be kept in view besides giving them protection against floods and rapid silting of reservoirs, generate cheap hydropower and store water for irrigated agriculture to produce food, and avoid wastage of water to sea. The committee chaired by Riaz Ahmad Khan unanimously agreed to appoint foreign consultant to get his views.

 At the end of the committee, Riaz Ahmad Khan Advisor asked me to give my views how to finance these four projects. I therefore give my suggestions that need to be examined by the Government and by an economic expert.  

     

I highly appreciate the wise and intelligent handling of these vital issues by Riaz Ammad Khan, Advisor.

 I very much appreciate the formation of this committee by the Secretary Water and Power, after knowing the issues. His initiative is highly appreciated.

We discussed Water issues. Similarly, I would appreciate to discuss land management issues, as land in the Indus Basin is degrading. Both issues are very important being inputs of agriculture. The agriculture scientists in the field of agronomy, soil management, farm water management, salinity, sodicity, water logging and drainage of irrigated lands shall have to be discussed. At present there is no drainage system a vital component of irrigation system. One million small tube wells indiscriminately pumping about 45 to 50 maf of injurious drainage effluent as groundwater for irrigation use, are playing hell with soil degradation as they inject 350 million tons of injurious salts invisibly and gradually in to the land each year. Even the shallow tube wells pump drainage effluent. The drainage effluent is recycled and salts are not physically evacuated out of the area. When lands get degraded then what is the use of water. Moreover, Integrated Comprehensive Water Management is direly essential to save 40 to 50 maf of water that becomes drainage effluent.

I suggest inviting agricultural scientists from the PARC of the department of agriculture to study land management issue of the Indus basin and advise.

   

Engr Fateh ullah Khan  Gandapur.

Former Chairman IRSA

Copy for information to;

Engr Riaz Ahmad Khan, Advisor, WAPDA, Lahore. As desired, I have submitted the financial proposal to implement the four pivotal dams, not known to WAPDA, and ignored from vision 2025. Arranging to finance these projects is a great job. I therefore pray to Allah to create circumstances for the implementation of these projects.  

Chairman IRSA Islamabad. IRSA consists of five high ranking engineers, therefore I suggest, IRSA will play vital role in building these dams to make more water available and implement Water Accord and store floodwater that goes waste to sea.

E M.H. Siddiqi, consultant, Punjab irrigation department, Lahore.

 I appreciate his findings. M.H. Siddiqi has rightly pointed out that 40% water is reduced in the existing canal system. This needs Integrated Comprehensive Water Management.  He rightly warned not to play politics in implementing these dams but to evaluate the projects on their merits and demerits. He therefore suggested hiring an international neutral water expert to prioritized the construction of proposed dam site. The Chair also endorsed the proposal.     

 

Encl:  Proposal to finance unique multipurpose dams to support…( three pages)

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

                  

Rod-Kohi area of Kulachi Tehsil has floodwater rights in

 Gomal Zam Dam. Water rights area of Rod-Kohi under Gomal Zam Dam cannot be ignored from irrigation in view of Riwaj-abpashi if storage water is available

Rod-Kohi area  has water rights in Gomal Zam. No one can deny these water rights after controlling floodwater of Gomal Zam Dam. Floodwater after storage belongs to Rod-Kohi area. Therefore no Rod-Kohi area should remain un commanded. The network of canal system should include this left over water rights area. The Rod–Kohi area covers almost the entire area of Kulachi Tehsil subject to the quantity of water available each year. As a matter of principle the water rights area must form project boundary. The network of canals should be planned to cover the entire area that has water rights under Rod-Kohi. The Rod-Kohi area has legal water rights under the Rewaj-ab-pashi. The Rod-Kohi irrigation means floodwater irrigation from hill torrents. Water to the new area can only be given after covering the entire Rod-Kohi area.

There are two types of water rights. The one area almost gets perennial water on a very small scale and the other area under Rod-Kohi gets floodwater that is now stored. Both the types of areas have the rights in storage water of Gomal Zam. New area if any should be given the last priority. Project Manager letter reveals that about 66000 hecters of land would be covered by the project. 66000 Hecter of land is a lot of land. This is equal to about 163,000 acres of land.  Moreover, if sprinkler and drip irrigation for irrigation is used, water will be saved and then water may extend to new areas. All this should be planned from day one. Extension of the system later on would be a severe problem. The infighting may be bloody.  

It is not understood why some water rights area is ignored of its water rights by the project planners. I believe this must be due to ignorance. This will result in bloodshed as no one would be ready that its area under Rod-Kohi is ignored. After the construction of dam, the price of land has raised from about 20-50 rupees per Kanal to Rs 35000- per Kanal and will further increase.

The Project Director has revealed that revenue record shows that 107 Mouzas have water rights on Gomal Zam, against this, 67 Mouzas have been considered in the planning of irrigation system within the project boundary. It is said this blunder is committed by the then Government of NWFP. It needs correction at the earliest. Water should not be released till then otherwise burning problem would be created.

During the planning of irrigation system, it was estimated that the average inflow is 674 Mm/year, whereas, the network of canal system within the project boundary is estimated to use only 400Mm/year. This shows the remaining inflow of 200Mm/year will remain unutilized in the system. It appears that the water rights area of Rod-Kohi is ignored. This may now be set right.

It will be impossible to extend the canal irrigation system to the area once ignored as the US aid will stop. Now there is chance to revise the project and continue getting aid from USA for the water rights area ignored. Once the US aid stops, it will be impossible to extend the project. The farmer then would never allow extending the system. The upper riparian will think their water rights are being usurped to favor lower area. Besides this, there will be no money. I am of the opinion that the work should continue till all water rights area is brought under canal system using 674 Mm/Year.

The area having water rights in Rod-Kohi floodwater cannot be ignored when 200Mm/year water is available.    

I may inform you that I discovered the Khajuri Katch dam site on Gomal River in 1959. But WAPDA could not complete Gomal Zam even in 2012 though the initial work at dam site was started by me in 1959. The work on old dam site on upper most reach of Gomal River was abandoned. Now in this project, as I understand more than one-third of the project area that has water rights in floodwater in Gomal Zam is ignored.  This means, the project is made inherently disputable from day one. This dispute which may take very long time must be avoided as stored water is time-based and very precious. Irrigation of this area will change the very life pattern of the people by removing poverty.

The area needs rapid development by mechanized farming. It needs cultivation by modern lines. The people have land in pieces. I suggest some sort of partnership with investors, especially the Arab world. The farmers should give land say for 40 or 50 years and the investors may do the rest of all developments. The investor share as fixed in cash or in kind may be taken away by them. The ownership of land will remain with the owners. He will get benefit according to his share of land. Let economist improve the suggestion.

Engr. Fateh ullah khan

Former Chairman IRSA.    Mobile  0300-5920641               Dated June 7. 2012