950821

Dam to be built in Dadu to

store hills water: Zafar

RECORDER REPORT

HYDERABAD: Sindh Minister for Irrigation and Power Zafar Ali Khan Leghari has said that the federal government has agreed to construct a dam at Nai Gag in Dadu district to store the mountain water from Kirthor range.

The deluge in July last had caused widespread devastation in Johi, Khairpur Nathan Shah, Mehar and other areas of Dadu district.

Briefing the newsmen at the office of Chief Engineer, Kotri Barrage, at Barrage Colony here on Monday, he stressed the need for constructing at least eight dams to store the rain water.

He said that if these dams are constructed, hundreds of thousands of acres of virgin land could be brought under cultivation.

He said it that ample drinking water for the people of Karachi could be supplied through construction of mini-dams and by raising the embankments of Manchar Lake.

GUDDU RAIN CANAL

He said it had also been agreed in principle to take out rain canal from Guddu Barrage to bring under cultivation 3,50,000 acres of Thar land. He said this project will also ease the pressure on the barrages. He said during the first phase the rain canal will carry 15,000 cusecs water and later on its capacity will be increased to 50,000 cusecs.

He said the rain canal will be 60 miles long and it will cost Rs 100 million.

About the projective bunds he said the peak flood was now passing through Thatta and all the bunds had been strengthened.

The minister said that no funds had been provided to strengthen the entire network of the protective bunds with the result that they had gone very weak. Elaborating, he said that funds were only provided to strengthen the vulnerable points and for plugging the breaches and the erosion.

He said it was a strange phenomenon that breaches always occurred when the water level receded, and added that the Irrigation Department will have to be very careful as the water level of River Indus was on decline.

He appealed to the Prime Minister to tackle the issue of dams on war-footing.

He agreed with a questioner that the construction of dams required billions of rupees and said that whole of Kotri Barrage, including the network of canals in 1955 had cost Rs 980 million whereas only the replacement of 44 gates of Kotri Barrage were estimated to cost Rs 1070 million. He, however, insisted that there was no substitute for mini-dams.

The minister said that 18 gates of Kotri Barrage will be replaced during the current year while the remaining will be replaced during the next two years.

Secretary, Irrigation, Syed Arbab Shah, and Chief Engineer, Kotri Barrage Shams Memon were also present on the occasion.