Mangla Dam’s life enhanced to 269 years

LAHORE: Effective watershed techniques and completion of Mangla Dam raising project have increased the life of Mangla reservoir from 115 to 269 years.

According to a spokesman for Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda), the consultants of Mangla Dam in their design of the project in 1960 had envisaged life of the Mangla reservoir from 100 to 115 years with an estimated sediment load at the rate of 42,000 acres feet/annum.

However, due to effective measures taken under the watershed management project, the assessed rate of sediment load has reduced to 27,747 acres feet annually. The volume of benefits because of the Mangla’s enhanced life to 269 years could be better assessed with the fact that the benefits equivalent to billions of rupees is accrued every year from Mangla Dam.

To witness the work being done in this connection, Wapda chairman Lt Gen Muzammil Hussain (Retd) on Wednesday visited Mangla watershed management project to review the progress on various measures being taken under the project.

Speaking on the occasion, the chairman said watershed management plays a pivotal role to increase the life of water reservoirs by controlling soil erosion and reducing sediment rate flowing to the reservoir.

Therefore, implementation of the measures under watershed management is also important like that of constructing dams for water storage, he added. He directed the officials concerned to remain focused on achieving the targets, which have been set for them.

The chairman was briefed that Water and Power Development Authority has been implementing Mangla watershed management programme since 1960 in reservoir’s catchment area, covering 5,710 square miles in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Pakistan to control soil erosion and reduce sediment rate.

Some of the measures taken under the project from 1966 to 2017 included raising of around 130 million plants in its nurseries, afforestation on 166,653 acres catchment area of Mangla reservoir, and construction of 3,746 engineering structures in addition to constructing numerous soil conservation structures.