Japan to provide funds for dams in NW Pakistan
Pakistan Times National News Desk

PESHAWAR: Government of Japan will provide fund for construction of three small dams in NWFP under its grant in aid programme for irrigation of 9300 acres of land in the province.

Japanese government is in touch with concerned departments and preparatory mission of the project in NWFP for collecting technical data of the projects, informed Engineer Raqeeb Khan, Director General Small Dams Organisation (SDO) in an interview here Saturday.

The mission, comprising four Japanese experts, has visited sites of the dams and collected necessary data, DG SDO said and added that the head of the mission will visit on Mar-22, next.

The dams, to be funded by Japanese government, include Paley Dam in Charsadda costing Rs. 198 million and irrigating 4600 acres of land, Sanam Dam in Lower Dir district costing Rs. 101 million and irrigating 1700 acres of land and Kundal Dam in Swabi district costing Rs. 200 million and irrigating 3000 acres of land.

The fund is provided by Japanese government and is bifurcated in two parts i.e technical and grant in aid, said Engr Raqeeb Khan.

Under the grand in aid programme, he continued, construction of the dam would be undertaken and the funds granted under technical head, amounting to Rs. 3.98 million, would be spent on preparation of feasibility reports of some dams in southern districts of NWFP.

Director General SDO said the feasibility reports of these three dams have already been completed.

Presently, he said, the Preparatory Mission is collecting data after which the Basic Design Mission will arrive and start its work.

He expressed hope that the data collection process would be completed within a period of few months after which an agreement between the Government of Pakistan and Japan would be signed for construction of dam. The completion period of the project is 2006, he said.

DG SDO also informed that the Small Dams Organisation has submitted PC-1 of 20 small dams to the federal government. These dams will be constructed in different districts of NWFP at a cast of Rs. 3.6 billion.

Presently, he said the plan for construction of 20 dams is approved by Planning Division and would be presented in the meeting of Central Development Working Party (CDWP).

After approval from CDWP, the project would be presented in the meeting of ECNEC (Executive Committee of National Economic Council) for final approval, he informed.

The federal government, he said, has already approved a mega project for construction of Tankzam small dam at a cost of Rs. 3.391 billion.

The government has included construction of Tankzam dam in current ADP (Annual Development Programme) and work would start over it as the funds are released.
In NWFP, he said, the SDO has completed construction of four small dams.●