For provision of drinking water to residents of the provincial metropolis and adjacent tribal area of Khyber Agency, the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has planned the construction of Jabba dam. The project has been included in the Annual Development Program of the current financial year under the name of Peshawar Greater Water Supply Scheme (PGWS) to provide clean drinking water to the people city, Hayatabad and Khyber Agency.
According to sources in the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the feasibility study of Jabba dam has already been completed and is found feasible in engineering point of view. The dam will serve as a principal source of water supply to Khyber Agency and Peshawar. In case of timely availability of funds, Jabba dam located in Jamrud tehsil of Khyber Agency will be completed by end of next calendar year.
Upon completion, the dam will also bring an estimated agricultural land of 20,000 acres under cultivation of land besides protecting Peshawar and Khyber Agency from floods during monsoon.
The dam is projected to provide about one million people with clean drinking water facility and store up to 38,000 gallons of water by providing enormous agriculture benefits to local populations. Similarly, the feasibility study of Bara Dam has also been prepared with an estimated capacity of irrigating 50,000 acres area in Tehsil Bara, Khyber Agency and suburban areas of Peshawar. The Bara dam will also serve as a source of drinking water for nearby areas and about two million cusecs potable water can be provided to the Bara Bazaar and about eight million cusecs to Hayatabad in Peshawar.
Bara dam is very important for Peshawar as its life span is estimated between 80 and 100 years besides its storage capacity of about 88,000 acres feet. The dam has potential generating several megawatts electricity. Third possible project for provision of drinking water to Peshawar is Warsak Dam, a mega project, deemed as main source of water for Peshawarits. This dam is supposed a good project for provision of drinking water to the residents of the city.