KARACHI: The cost of Nai Gaj Dam in District Dadu, Sindh, has jumped to Rs47.723 billion from Rs26.236 billion, indicates the 2nd revised PC-1 of the project.
According to official documents, the original PC-1 put the total cost of the project at Rs16.924 billion when it was formulated in 2009. The 1st revised PC-1 of the project increased the cost of the project to Rs26.236 billion, and now the 2nd revised PC-1 escalated its total cost to Rs47.732 billion.
The federal government, which was supposed to finance the whole project with the help of some foreign assistance, would now contribute 96 percent, and four percent of the cost would be borne by the Sindh government.
The project envisages construction of a 194-ft-high central core earth fill dam with a gross storage capacity of 0.30 million-acre-feet (MAF) and live storage of 0.16 MAF to irrigate 28,800 acres of land.
In addition, the project is expected to meet (a) periodic water releases of 110 cusecs in the river for water supply needs of the lower riparian and (b) continuous release of 50 cusecs for Manchar Lake.
It was initially envisaged that construction would be completed in three years (the project commenced on 01-07-2009), but due to slow pace of work, the project lingered on, and after a lapse of a decade, only 51% physical progress could be made at an expenditure of Rs11,918.202 million (as per WAPDA report of November 2019) against the scope and cost of 1st revised PC-I while no progress could be made on command area development by the government of Sindh, says the official document.
The main objective of the project is conservation of the available flood flows up to a gross storage capacity of 0.30 MAF, which comprises a live storage capacity of 0.160 MAF and power generation of 4.2 MW as well as irrigation supplies to gross command area (GCA) of 56,739 acres and culturable command area (CCA) of 28,800 acres.
The project also envisages elimination/reduction of flood losses and erosion-control of the soil on downstream side of the dam and water supply of 110 cusecs to fulfill the needs of the lower riparian and livestock, socioeconomic uplift of the area, poverty reduction and food security.
Also, increase in cropping intensity from 23.6% to 107.5% through surface irrigation and 200% by drip irrigation system and emancipation of women and poor community of the area and developments of fisheries, recharge of ground water aquifer for drinking purposes, assured water supplies for lower riparian and 50 cusecs of continuous flow will be provided for ecological restoration of Manchar Lake.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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