DAMS & BARRAGES
It is deeply disheartening that, 15 years after their launch, 11 out of 12 small to medium-sized multipurpose dam projects across all four provinces remain incomplete -- despite billions of rupees already spent. This inordinate delay is costing the national economy dearly every year, yet both federal and provincial governments remain unmoved.
At a time of acute water scarcity and looming food insecurity, Pakistan has lost the capacity to cumulatively store about 3.20 million acre-feet (MAF) of water annually. For perspective, the combined storage in Tarbela, Mangla, and Chashma reservoirs in May 2025 was only 3.02 MAF -- against a designed capacity of 13.5 MAF. The stalled projects, had they been completed, could have irrigated over 0.38 million acres of additional cultivable land (Pakistan’s current total irrigated area is 45.9 million acres). Originally planned for completion within three to four years, they have instead been left to languish.
Approved during 2009–2010 as multipurpose reservoirs in remote areas with suitable topography and rainfall, the projects were cleared by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) at a total cost of about one billion US dollars. China had committed $700 million in soft-term loans through the China Eximbank, covering 70 per cent of the cost, while Pakistan was to arrange the remaining $300 million in local currency through the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). Yet 15 years later, only one dam has been completed. Some projects never even broke ground, despite tenders being issued in 2009–2010. As of June 30, 2025, Pakistan has already spent over Rs69 billion on six under-construction or stalled projects, with project costs having escalated by nearly 250 per cent. Meanwhile, the China Eximbank has withdrawn its financial support.
Mismanagement, corruption and a chronic lack of political will have caused massive delays and alarming cost overruns. The government and executing agencies have failed to ensure proper monitoring, timely completion, or cost control. Despite lofty claims, successive governments have never truly prioritised the development of small dams. One major obstacle has been the non-release of funds, despite allocations, albeit inadequate, being made under the federal PSDP.
The twelve projects included the Winder, Naulong, Hingol, Pelar and Garuk dams in Balochistan; Nai Gaj, Darawat and Sita-Khadeji in Sindh; Ghabir and Papin in Punjab; and Bara and Daraban Zam in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Of these, the Sita-Khadeji Dam was allocated Rs41 million in the 2011–12 PSDP, but no funds were released, and the project was later dropped due to ‘financial constraints’. The Bara Dam in KP (Khyber District) never took off owing to funding shortages and security concerns. Daraban Zam Dam in Dera Ismail Khan District remains at the redesign stage without a contract. Hingol underwent significant changes and redesign following the initial expenditure; its detailed design for the new site, PC-1, and tender documents were only recently prepared, with partial financing now coming from the Abu Dhabi Fund.
Despite once being water-rich, Pakistan is now among the most water-stressed nations in the world -- partly because half its irrigation water is wasted due to poor management and inadequate infrastructure
Funding for Pelar in Balochistan ceased in 2011. Garuk has been under construction since 2019. Ghabir and Papin in Punjab remain stalled following the non-availability of funds. Naulong and Winder are still under construction. Nai Gaj has been under construction since May 2012 but is now stalled. Ironically, the PSDP 2025–26 allocates funds for only four out of the eleven incomplete projects. The only completed project, Darawat Dam, took construction from March 2010 to June 2014, but at three times the original cost.
The urgency of these projects has been further highlighted by the devastation of seasonal floods -- worsened by climate change -- that have caused hundreds of deaths, displaced thousands, destroyed infrastructure and submerged acres of farmland. Small dams could play a vital role in mitigating such disasters by storing excess rainfall and conserving water for dry periods. Their benefits extend beyond flood control to include food security, groundwater recharge, water conservation and improved local environmental conditions.
Pakistan currently has around 142 small and medium-sized dams: 64 in Balochistan, 28 in KP, 23 in Punjab, 22 in Sindh, 3 in Islamabad and 2 in Gilgit-Baltistan. Yet since 1996, there has been no significant expansion, despite experts estimating the potential for another 750. Many small and mini dams are, however, under construction at the provincial level, primarily for irrigation purposes. However, progress is undermined by bureaucratic inefficiency and poor resource management, despite the technical expertise available in provincial Small Dams Organisations.
Policymakers have long favoured mega water projects over small dams. Large dams are costly, politically contentious, socially disruptive, environmentally risky, and require 10–12 years to complete -- often running into further delays. Since the completion of Tarbela, no large dam has been constructed, although Diamer-Basha and Mohmand are currently under construction. The contrast in cost is stark: twelve small dams in the Potohar region were built in 1996 for just $35 million, whereas Diamer-Basha alone is expected to cost $14 billion (excluding the power component). Globally too, construction of large dams has declined from about 500 per year in the 1980s to just 100 annually in the early 2000s.
Large dams also face logistical and labour challenges in remote locations and depend heavily on imported expertise and equipment. Small or medium, community-based dams, by contrast, are simpler, faster, cheaper to build and easier to maintain. Examples such as Rawal, Simli, Misriot and Tanaza in the Rawalpindi –Islamabad region demonstrate their effectiveness in meeting urban and suburban water needs.
While small dams cannot replace large multipurpose projects, they are an essential complement for expanding irrigation capacity, boosting drinking water supply, and improving socio-economic conditions. They also enhance groundwater recharge and, in some cases, provide low-cost hydroelectricity. For instance, Bara is designed for 5.8MW, Nai Gaj for 4.5MW, and Naulong for 4.4MW, with the remaining projects ranging from 0.3 to 0.75MW in power capacity.
Despite once being water-rich, Pakistan is now among the most water-stressed nations in the world -- partly because half its irrigation water is wasted due to poor management and inadequate infrastructure. During the monsoon, huge volumes of water flow into the sea without being used. Small storage dams could transform agriculture, bring more land under cultivation, and trigger a rapid ‘green revolution’.
The writer is a retired chairman of the State Engineering Corporation.