ISLAMABAD: Minister for Water Resources Mueen Wattoo has informed the National Assembly that the government has formulated the National Water Policy (2018) which emphasizes the construction of reservoirs, rainwater harvesting, and climate-resilient infrastructure to mitigate the impacts of floods and droughts, while enhancing water management and storage capacity.
In a written reply to a question from Erum Hamid, the minister stated that, recognizing the growing risks of floods and droughts, the government of Pakistan is actively working to augment water availability across the country through the construction of new reservoirs to store excess water during high-flow seasons and utilize it during lean periods. He said that over the past decade, the government, through Wapda, has completed several major projects that added 3.914 million acre-feet (MAF) of live water storage capacity. These include Mangla Dam Raising (2.88 MAF), Gomal Zam Dam (0.892 MAF), Satpara Dam (0.053 MAF), and Darawat Dam (0.089 MAF).
Currently, the federal government is sponsoring 18 dam projects at various stages of development, with a total cost of Rs1,036.69 billion. Upon completion, these projects will collectively provide an additional 8.23 million acre-feet of storage capacity and bring around 346,447 acres of new land under irrigation. Among these, the Diamer Basha Dam alone will store 6.4 million acre-feet of water, significantly boosting irrigation supplies for the 45 million acres of land currently irrigated by the Indus Basin Irrigation System.
In addition, to address future water scarcity and climate change challenges, several projects are under planning and design with a combined live storage capacity of 15.8 MAF. These include the Sindh Barrage (2.0 MAF), Shyok Dam Multipurpose Project (5.5 MAF), Akhori Dam (7.0 MAF), Chiniot Dam (0.85 MAF), and Murunj Dam (0.45 MAF).
The minister informed that during the last decade, the Wapda successfully completed the Mangla Dam Raising Project, increasing the dam’s height by 40 feet and adding 2.88 MAF to its live storage capacity. A feasibility study for enhancing the storage capacity of the Hub Dam is also in progress. He added that various technical and economic studies conducted by the Wapda on desilting the Tarbela and Mangla Dams concluded that desilting is neither economically viable nor technically feasible due to high costs, operational complexity, and limited long-term benefits. Therefore, the government has prioritized the construction of new upstream reservoirs as the most effective strategy to reduce sedimentation and enhance overall system storage.
The National Assembly was informed that the Wapda conducts regular assessments of the live storage capacities of all reservoirs under its jurisdiction through periodic bathymetric surveys and hydrographic monitoring. These surveys, carried out at defined intervals in line with international best practices and the Wapda’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), determine sedimentation levels, remaining live storage, and structural integrity. According to the latest assessments, the current live storage capacity of major existing dams stands at 14.919 MAF. The updated figures are shared with all relevant stakeholders for effective water allocation, flood forecasting, and long-term infrastructure planning.
The Wapda also acknowledged that Pakistan’s limited water storage capacity contributes to both devastating monsoon floods and dry season shortages. The country’s current storage covers only 30 days of demand, compared to the international benchmark of 120 days, resulting in an average annual loss of 27 MAF of floodwater to the sea. Projections indicate that per capita water availability could fall below 800 cubic meters by 2030, further exacerbating Pakistan’s water-related vulnerabilities.