Pakistan wasting 15 Million Acre feet water annually worth billions of dollars
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ISLAMABAD - On one hand Pakistan is lacking new water resources while the storage capacity of already existing dams has reduced to an alarming level resulting in wastage of 15 Million Acre Foot (MAF) of fresh water which goes to sea unused.
The study says this water can be used to fill at least two big dams of the country.
From the last three years, the world’s biggest earth filled dam, Tarbela dam’s dead level has increased to 14 feet. In 2017 the dead level of Terbela was at 1378 feet which has now come to 1392 feet.
In 1977 when Terbela dam was made operational the storage capacity of the dam was higher than 1 crore lacs MAF which now touched to merely 70 lacs MAF. If the situation keeps on going like this, it is believed that in coming years Terbela will lose its status of one of the biggest dam.
Due to this water scarcity the crops like wheat, cotton, maize and sugarcane are suffering that require proper watering for their growth. This is also affecting total production on the national level.
It is worth noting that World Bank financed Pakistan to build Terbela dam on river Sindh in 1967. The dam is 9000feet long and485 feet high. On the left bank of the river there are four tunnels with diameter 45feet. Three tunnels are connected to energy producing units while one is used for irrigation purpose.
Turbines on a link canal from the same dam at Ghazi brotha produces electricity that is added to national grid. According to water experts Indus River is the only river of Pakistan with great opportunities of building large dams on
