Managing the dam

The Sabakzai dam is built on the Sawar Rud, a tributary of Zhob river. The dam was constructed in 2007 under Vision 2030 and has a capacity to store 32,700 acre feet of water. It also has the capacity to irrigate 10,000 acres of agricultural land. The 395-metre long dam is a water reservoir with a catchment area of 7,300 acres. The dam is beautifully designed at a beautiful site surrounded by towering green mountains. Due to constant torrential rains in the area, water up to 100 to 140 feet is always available there after being used for irrigation purposes. But since its height is low there is always a looming fear that in the event of continuous rains the dam might overflow which can cause great damage to the settlements in the low-lying areas.

Therefore it is the responsibility of Wapda to chalk out a plan to utilise the water from the dam solely for agricultural purposes and to avert the wastage of water. Also, the water can also be used to generate electricity and, if small turbines and other necessary equipment are installed in the region, it can be used to meet the local demand. It is hoped that the concerned authorities will look into the matter.

Guldar Khan Wazir (Loralai)