Mirani Dam located in Balochistan near Turbat will be completed next month at a cost of Rs 4.25 billion. Member (Water) Wapda, Muhammad Mushtaq Chaudhary told APP here on Wednesday that Mirani Dam with a capacity of 377 cusecs water after its successful completion would saturate a total of 33,200 acres of arable land situated on either sides of right and left bank canal.
He said 127 feet high dam with a gross storage capacity of 302,000 acre feet would have 152,000 acre feet live storage to benefit 85 percent average cropping intensity in the area.
He said the dam had been constructed across River Dasht about 30 miles west of Turbat in Makaran division of Balochistan. He said the project was located about 380 miles south-west of Quetta. It has central Makran range in the north and is located on the confluence of two rivers ie Kech and Nihang.
About the benefits of the dam, Muhammad Mushtaq Chaudhary said that it would cater to the water needs for agricultural and domestic purpose besides developing fisheries in addition to promote livestock in the area.
The member said that 40 kilometre metalled road had been constructed from Turbat to dam and the people of the area would also benefit. He said 33 KV transmission line has also been erected to provide facility of electricity to the people of area. He said the floodwater, which was wasted in the past would now be conserved and stored for productive purposes.
It would bring environmental and socio-economic revolution in the area. He said President Pervez Musharraf and Wapda Chairman Tariq Hamid had already visited the site and thoroughly inspected the pace of work of the project. He said the dam would usher in an era of progress, development and prosperity in the area.