Dam for Peshawar Completed to irrigate 3400 acres
Pakistan Times National News Desk

PESHAWAR: The Small Dams Organisation (SDO), established with the objective of combating drought condition in water scarced areas of NWFP, has completed construction of Azakhel small dam in Peshawar.

The dam, located at Azakhel Khawar near Mattani 35 kilometer South East of Peshawar city, will irrigate 3300 acres of land and provide drinking water facility to 1320 families of the area, informed Engineer Raqeeb Khan, Director
General SDO.

Work on the dam was started in June 2003 and was completed before its stipulated period of 18 months at a cost of Rs. 43 million, DG SDO added.

The dam is zone earth filled delay action dam which will recharge the ground water level in the area.

Inauguration

The inauguration of the dam will soon be performed the moment it is filled from rain water.

The dam has water storage capacity of 3500 acre feet and its annual discharge will be 14000 acre feet.

The benefit of cost ratio of the dam, he said is 3.29:1 and it EIRP is 39 percent.

Plans and Prospects

About the activities of SDO, Raqeeb Khan said it has constructed three small dams in the province within a limited period of one and a half year.

Apart from completing work on three dams, the department has also completed feasibility of six dams at different locations in the province and prepared pre-feasibility of 17 small dams.

Of the DERA

Similarly, work on four dams under DERA (Drought Emergency Relief Assistance Programme) is in progress and near completion.

The dams under DERA are Naryab Dam in Hangu, Sharki dam in Karak, Chalghoz dam in Karak and Auxilary Kandar dam in Kohat.

These four dams after completion would irrigate about 12500 acres land in areas where people mostly depend on rain for irrigation purpose.

Japan's Collaboration

The SDO has also offered to the Government of Japan to construct three dams in NWFP through grant in aid.

These dams include Palai dam in Charsadda, Sanam dam in Lower Dir and Kundal dam in Swabi.

The SDO

About the background of SDO, Engg Raqeeb Khan said due to drought in the recent past, the necessity for the conservation of rain and flood water was considered by the government as the only solution to combat water scarcity.

For providing water for irrigation, portable drinking water and recharge of the ground water aquifer, it was decided to create an independent small dams organisation for carrying out planning, design and construction of small dams, he added. The SDO was established on Jan-1, 2003.

The key benefits of small dams is that people of water scarce areas would get water for irrigation and drinking purposes.

Similarly, fisheries will also develop in these areas besides mitigation of losses caused by flood water.●