Federal Govt allocates Rs15bln for Mohmand Dam in PSDP 2019-20

Jun 17, 2019: The Federal Government has allocated Rs15 billion for multifaceted Mohmand dam in Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) 2019-20, a project for which the Government ran massive fund raising campaign and generated over Rs9 billion, indicating PTI's Government resolve to expeditious completion of the mega project to overcome energy crisis in the country.

The federal government allocation would help ensure its expeditious completion of the mega project with capacity to generate 800 megawatt electricity and water storage of 1.2 million acre feet (MAF) for benefits of the country.

"With allocation of such huge amount, it has been cleared now that the government has showed unflinching resolve and commitment to complete this much delayed project at earliest to meet the country's energy and water requirements besides provision of clean drinking water facilities to the inhabitants of Peshawar," senior economics Sumbul Riaz told on Monday.

She said thousands of acres of land especially in northern districts of Khyber Pakthunkhwa including Charssadda and Mohmand tribal districts would be irrigated after its construction besides give enormous boost to agriculture, horticulture, floriculture and others key sectors in the province.

On May 2, 2019, Prime Minister Imran Khan has performed the ground breaking of this much-awaited Mohmand dam project.

Mohmand dam is being constructed on River Swat about 48 kilometers from Peshawar in Mohmand tribal district and the dam's reservoir area extends upstream to Mohmand and Bajaur districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Its construction will help national power policy achieve the dual goals of meeting Pakistan's energy needs in a sustainable manner and ensuring generation of affordable electricity, while helping to reduce existing energy's supply gap.

The senior economist said PTI govt has presented a goal-oriented and energy friendly budget in which much maximum amount was allocated for dams projects including Rs 20 billion for Diamir Bhasha dam and land acquisition, Rs15 billion for Mohmand Dam and Rs 54.68 billion for Dasu Kohistan Hydropower Project.

She said the construction of 213 meter high Mohmand dam will help counter risk of flood damages in future and its reservoir would control rivers flow and minimize intensity of floods downstream.

Had Mohmand dam been constructed in the past the huge devastations caused by 2010 flood could have been averted to a great extent.

Senior economics Professor Dr Muhammad Naeem said allocation of such huge amount for Mohmand dam in PSDP would help expedite work on this gigantic project on fast track basis.

He said the project will lead to enhance the agricultural capacity and production at downstream through raising two canals at Charsadda district, adding PC-I of Mohmand dam amounting to Rs. 309.556billion including land acquisition and resettlement has been approved by ECNEC.

The project is scheduled to be completed in five years and on completion will store about 1.2 million acre feet (MAF) of water that would bring green revolution in the province.

The project will alleviate poverty by providing job opportunities to thousands of people and labourers besides locals in the project area and its annual benefits are estimated about Rs 51.6 billion.

He said clean drinking water to people of Peshawar is being emerged as serious problems and we need such like dams to fulfill people's potable water demands for next 50 years.

He said the project will supply 13.32 million cubic meter water from Mohmand dam Reservoir to Peshawar city.

APP