Senate body asks IRSA to details on water distribution mechanism

Islamabad: Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources in its meeting directed IRSA and all provincial irrigation departments to bring all details about water distribution mechanism among the provinces and all rules and systems in place for the same.

The meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Senator Shamim Afridi here at the Parliament House on Thursday and was attended among others by Senators Muhammad Usman Kakar, Rana Maqbool Ahmed, Sassui Palijo, John Kenneth Williams, Syed Sabir Shah, Waleed Iqbal, Secretary Water Resources, representatives from WAPDA, and irrigation departments.

While discussing the matter of the land lost due to sea intrusion on different coastal district of Sindh so far and the construction of Sindh Barrage and its impact on reduction of sea intrusion the Committee decided to move a privilege motion against Chairman WAPDA on his continued absence from the merits of the Committee.

Regarding the present status and way forward on Dasu Hydropower Project the Committee was told that the project is 74 km downstream from Diamer Bhasha Dam on the Karakoram Highway. Some portion of the existing KKH will submerge in the dam and portion is being constructed on an alternate route close by.

It is a run of the river project that will produce 4320 MW of power, the dam height is 242 m and the cost has escalated from 486 billion to 511 billion due to the land acquisition issues. The revised completion date is February 2025. Preparatory work contracts of 50 billion have been signed and work is in progress, for main work 2 contracts have been awarded and ground work is in progress while for electromechanical works contract has been signed. Land acquisition will be completed in 2020.

While discussing regarding present status of Phase-II of the Greater Thal Canal Project the Committee was told that Asian Development Bank has been approached for financing the project and the project will change the living conditions of the people and will bring prosperity by a better canal system in the area.

The Committee was also given briefing on construction of five small dams in Balochistan; Sharan Dam in Sherani, Zama Khulgi Dam, Baratkhel Cheena Dam, Urgus Dam and Kum Khurasan Dam in Killa Saifullah. The Committee decided to write to provincial government and also directed the federal ministry to do the same to expedite the process of sending PC-1 of the projects to the federal government for approval.