PM to inaugurate Mohmand Dam next month

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan would inaugurate Mohmand Dam in first week of January 2019. This five-year dam project would require around Rs315 billion, Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda on Wednesday said.

Chief Justice Saqib Nisar and Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa would also attend the opening ceremony; Minister for Water Resources said this here on Wednesday while addressing a news conference. It was a 54-year-old Mohmand dam which is moving towards resolution.

This project is located in militancy hit region of Mohmand Agency. It would be constructed across Swat River form 48 km from Peshawar.

He said the government would require Rs300 to Rs315 billion funding to implement this project and entire funding would be arranged from local resources. It would be completed in next five years.

This dam would not only generate 800 Megawatt (MW) of electricity but store water to irrigate 17000 acres of barren land. It would also meet the requirement of Peshawar for coming generations.

Chairman Wapda Lieutenant General (retd) Muzammil Hussain said that Hydle projects were important for country but there was criminal negligence in the past as focus had increased on Independent Power Producers (IPPs).

Since 1967, no work on project like Tarbela dam was initiated which was a criminal negligence. This project was on a place where Kabul and Swat rivers were meeting. It would mitigate floods and water for agriculture would be available in the area where militancy was on highest degree. Local people had supported the project which showed that militancy was not indigenous issue, he said.

Funding would be arranged through PSDP, equity and commercial funds. He said that Pakistan Army had controlled militancy and the Chief Justice had assisted to resolve litigations to start work on this dam.

He said that Dasu project had stuck due to non-availability of land and financing. KP government and local people were on board and added that issue of land and financing had been resolved. He said the first phase of this dam would be completed in 2022-23.

Secretary Water Resources Shamail Ahmad Khawaja said that Pakistan had approached World Bank as third party to address concerns of Pakistan on Kishanganga and Ratle projects. He said that World Bank had given some suggestions and Attorney General of Pakistan was looking into it.

He said that negotiations between Pakistan and India on water issues, stuck in 2014, had been restored. He said inspection of projects by India on Chenab basin was planned. But due to elections in India, it had been delayed.

Shamail said that they were in touch with Indian authorities and issue would be taken up in next round of talks in March or April 2019.