The Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms has reportedly warned Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) that the operating life of the still not operational Gomal Zam Dam is on the decline due to silting, well-informed sources told Business Recorder.
This inexplicable situation was revealed by the Chief Water Planning Division at a recent meeting convened to review physical progress on the Gomal Zam Dam and Kurram Tangi Dam. Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms, Ahsan Iqbal presided over the meeting. Planning Minister observed that projects were planned and approved by the Planning Division and priority was extended to South and North Waziristan agencies due to their socio political advantages. However, progress on the projects is not up to the mark.
The Chief Water Planning Division observed that due to non operationalisation of 17.4 MW Gomal Zam Dam, the reservoir is silting at an alarming rate as there is no gullet for water and sediments flow and hence the life of the dam is on the decline. Therefore, it should be opened for flows in existing season and with the existing old system. The project is aimed at command area development which is to be executed by the province; however the pace of implementation is very slow and needs to be expedited.
The Member (Water) Wapda briefed the meeting about issues relating to the project. He submitted that an amount of Rs 2.206 billion has to be paid by the provincial government in lieu of land acquisition and security, an amount that has yet to be paid. He added that the bid cost of Kurram Tangi Dam is also under consideration. The representative of KPK government submitted that the Kaitu Wier Project is a component of Kurram Tangi Project which is being implemented before the main Kurram Tangi Dam is completed. And it may cause water distribution issues.
The funding of the project has been provided by the USAID to the tune of US $95 million as a grant-in-aid and remaining Rs 2.687 billion will be arranged through Public Sector Development Project (PSDP). The whole project could not be implemented due to financial constraints and law and order situation in the area. The sponsors have split the project into three components for timely completion within available resources.
Director General, Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) while describing physical progress of the project stated that Gomal Zam Dam is substantially completed and the provincial government may take it over. Additional Secretary Ministry of Water and Power submitted that the issues need collaborative consideration by all stakeholders. Ministry of Water and Power will forge a consensus and will come up with an agreed solution after a period of 15 days.
Gomal Zam Dam is a multi-purpose gravity dam in South Waziristan Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The dam impounds the Gomal river, a tributary of the Indus river at Khjori Kach, where the Gomal river passes through a narrow ravine. The purpose of the dam is irrigation, flood control and hydroelectric power generation. The dam was officially inaugurated on 12 September, 2013 by Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif, along with the former US Ambassador Richard G Olson.