Diamer-Bhasha dam in seismic zone, NA told
February 10, 2007
ISLAMABAD: The Diamer-Basha dam is located in the seismic zone, the collision boundary of the Asian tectonic plates, which was hit by 863 tremors of different intensities over the last 74 years, Water and Power Minister Liaquat Jatoi told the National Assembly on Friday.
At present, a micro-seismic network is being established by the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) to monitor the seismic activity specifically near the dam site besides four strong motion accelerographs, which are already working to record earthquake in the area, the minister said in a written reply to a question.
Initially, Jatoi said, feasibility consultants formulated a database, containing 863 instrumentally recorded earthquakes of magnitude of 4 or more in a radius of 200 kilometres of the project area during 1927 to 2001. Later, the design consultants extended it up to 2006 and are in the process of establishing seismic parameters for safe design of the project.
The National Assembly was also informed that the government paid under the head of advertisements an amount of Rs 1.39 billion to local newspapers and periodicals during 2005-06. Jatoi said the work on the Mangla dam raising project is expected to be completed by December 2007. He said Wapda has drawn a plan to accelerate the pace of work and the contractor has been bound down to accomplish the project in time by deploying extra labour and machinery.
The minister said that Air Marshal (retd) Shahid Hamid, chairman of the Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB), was getting Rs 197,000 as monthly salary in MP-1 while its Secretary Brigadier Dr Nasim Khan is being paid Rs 68,295. Air Commodore (retd) Shahzada Khalid and Dr Irshad Ahmed, working as senior project developers, are getting Rs 102,500.
At present, a micro-seismic network is being established by the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) to monitor the seismic activity specifically near the dam site besides four strong motion accelerographs, which are already working to record earthquake in the area, the minister said in a written reply to a question.
Initially, Jatoi said, feasibility consultants formulated a database, containing 863 instrumentally recorded earthquakes of magnitude of 4 or more in a radius of 200 kilometres of the project area during 1927 to 2001. Later, the design consultants extended it up to 2006 and are in the process of establishing seismic parameters for safe design of the project.
The National Assembly was also informed that the government paid under the head of advertisements an amount of Rs 1.39 billion to local newspapers and periodicals during 2005-06. Jatoi said the work on the Mangla dam raising project is expected to be completed by December 2007. He said Wapda has drawn a plan to accelerate the pace of work and the contractor has been bound down to accomplish the project in time by deploying extra labour and machinery.
The minister said that Air Marshal (retd) Shahid Hamid, chairman of the Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB), was getting Rs 197,000 as monthly salary in MP-1 while its Secretary Brigadier Dr Nasim Khan is being paid Rs 68,295. Air Commodore (retd) Shahzada Khalid and Dr Irshad Ahmed, working as senior project developers, are getting Rs 102,500.
