fatman17
PDF THINK TANK: CONSULTANT
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2007
- Messages
- 32,563
- Reaction score
- 98
- Country
- Location
Brief introduction of Katzarah Dam.
How criminal one can get. Those who come to power are only interested in the seat and making money. Really a shame on us.
SR.
There is a spectacular, multi-purpose and the narrowest dam site on the Indus at the head of the gorge at Katzarah located on the downstream of the confluence of three rivers, namely the Indus River, Shiok River and Shigar River. The dam site is about 18 km downstream of Skardu and would create storage in three gorges. Engineer Fateh Ullah discovered the dam site in 1957 by looking at the GTS maps later on he prepared a pre-feasibility report in April 1962. The population of Skardu was then about 4000. On his initiation, the President of Pakistan FM Mohammed Ayub Khan requested the World Bank to send its experts to identify dam sites in Pakistan and other water resources projects. In 1968, Dr Pieter Lieftnick of the World Bank and his team identified Katzarah dam site near Skardu among others and called it Skardu dam. Confusion is being created by calling Katzarah as Skardu, the two different dam sites namely Katzarah and Skardu are 22 km apart. Therefore both cannot be called Skardu. The World Bank Team fixes the site for Skardu Dam on the upstream of Skardu town. It is immediately located on the downstream of the confluence of Shigar River with Indus River where a gauge site has since been established for the purpose. At this location the height of Skardu Dam is fixed as 310 feet, length 3700 feet and storage capacity as 8 maf. For confirmation reference may be made to Dr Pieter Lieftnick’s report — pages 283 and 296. General Musharraf repeatedly urges for big dams and Katzarah is really the Biggest Dam.
Katzarah dam would create a reservoir up to 35 maf, the largest in the world and six times larger than Kalabagh or Basha. It would be able to generate about 15,000 MW of power and would totally regulate the highly erratic flow of the Indus essentially required for irrigation system in the Indus basin. It would control floods by conserving 35 maf of floodwater that escapes to sea as wastage on the average each year.
Katzarah dam site has an excellent “Capacity-inflow ratio” (CI ratio) in the entire reach of the Indus River valley, therefore its lifespan and service value can be about 1000 years as the highly erodable soil will be submerged and compressed by the 35 maf Katzara reservoir. It will also prevent downstream silt flow from the highly erodible soil of Skardu valley. In planning storage dams and reservoirs, the CI ratio is the most vital factor and the key for the selection of the best possible dam site on a river. On this vital ratio the life and the service value of storage dam depends. Besides this, silt flow at Katzarah dam site is nominal. In spite of all round merits, no one took notice of this unique dam site since 1962.
For information, Hoover dam named after President Hoover of USA at Lake Meade on Colorado River with a storage capacity of 28.5 maf creates is the largest reservoir in the world at present. Whereas, Katzarah dam would create a reservoir of 35 maf larger than created by Hoover dam.
Katzarah dam can irrigate a barren area of about 10 million acres on the Right Bank of the Indus River in the four provinces. If sprinkler method of irrigation is used, it can irrigate more than 20 million acres. A Right Bank Irrigation System would be created in the country. This project would economically result in a revolutionary development of land and water, bring pleasant change in climate and create healthy environment and its own ecosystem. This is because the vast desert-like areas would turn into green fields, orchards and forests. Moreover, the Indus basin irrigation system would get assured water supply free of dispute for all times. Katzarah dam can serve as replacement storage, development storage, inter-seasonal storage and carryover storage.
Fortunately, though by chance, the most wonderful aspect of Katzarah dam would be that the three inundation or flood canals namely Thal, Raine, and Kachi with a combine discharge of about 19500 cusecs or 14 maf now under construction would be made perennial. Presently, these flood canals would only run for 70 flood days and remain dry for the rest of 10 months a year.
Moreover, Katzarah dam would make up the inherent deficiency of (117.35-105) = 12.35 maf of water allocated in advance in para 2 of the Water Accord. Storage to make up this deficiency has not been created since 1991. This very factor assumed in advance of creating new storage has resulted in disputes on sharing the imaginary storage of 12.35 maf of floodwater.
In 1962, a proposal was submitted to create a Right Bank Irrigation System to the Federal Govt by Engineer Fateh Ullah Khan to build Katzarah dam, a barrage at Chashma on the Indus with a Right Bank Canal named All Pakistan Grand Canal to irrigate most of the barren right bank areas in the four provinces. Unfortunately, nothing was done to build this unique dam with unlimited benefits though as Chairman IRSA it was repeatedly requested by him to build it to implement the central paras 2,4,6,12 and 14(e) of the Water Accord.
It would take about 7 to 8 years to complete Kalabagh or Basha. By then, Tarbela and Mangla would have lost storage equal to the storage created by the new dam. Therefore, shortage of water and provincial disputes will go on and the new dam at Kalabagh or Basha would not be useful to help solve the water crisis. These dams will only serve as replacement storage and are not meant for the development of new areas.
Against unlimited, multi-purpose and all round advantages of Katzarah dam, the insignificant disadvantages raised by the supporters of Kalabagh dam is that Skardu, its airport and a few Km of road would be submerged. Wherever dams are built, inundation of land is unavoidable. But in densely populated and developed areas in case of Kalabagh Dam, which doesn’t even serve its purpose, the matter is far more serious than the unpopulated, barren and remote area like the Skardu valley that will be affected in case of Katzarah Dam. The planners, engineers and the economists should weigh all the advantages and disadvantages of each dam keeping in view the requirements of water, power, and food and of agricultural development of the future.
How criminal one can get. Those who come to power are only interested in the seat and making money. Really a shame on us.
SR.
There is a spectacular, multi-purpose and the narrowest dam site on the Indus at the head of the gorge at Katzarah located on the downstream of the confluence of three rivers, namely the Indus River, Shiok River and Shigar River. The dam site is about 18 km downstream of Skardu and would create storage in three gorges. Engineer Fateh Ullah discovered the dam site in 1957 by looking at the GTS maps later on he prepared a pre-feasibility report in April 1962. The population of Skardu was then about 4000. On his initiation, the President of Pakistan FM Mohammed Ayub Khan requested the World Bank to send its experts to identify dam sites in Pakistan and other water resources projects. In 1968, Dr Pieter Lieftnick of the World Bank and his team identified Katzarah dam site near Skardu among others and called it Skardu dam. Confusion is being created by calling Katzarah as Skardu, the two different dam sites namely Katzarah and Skardu are 22 km apart. Therefore both cannot be called Skardu. The World Bank Team fixes the site for Skardu Dam on the upstream of Skardu town. It is immediately located on the downstream of the confluence of Shigar River with Indus River where a gauge site has since been established for the purpose. At this location the height of Skardu Dam is fixed as 310 feet, length 3700 feet and storage capacity as 8 maf. For confirmation reference may be made to Dr Pieter Lieftnick’s report — pages 283 and 296. General Musharraf repeatedly urges for big dams and Katzarah is really the Biggest Dam.
Katzarah dam would create a reservoir up to 35 maf, the largest in the world and six times larger than Kalabagh or Basha. It would be able to generate about 15,000 MW of power and would totally regulate the highly erratic flow of the Indus essentially required for irrigation system in the Indus basin. It would control floods by conserving 35 maf of floodwater that escapes to sea as wastage on the average each year.
Katzarah dam site has an excellent “Capacity-inflow ratio” (CI ratio) in the entire reach of the Indus River valley, therefore its lifespan and service value can be about 1000 years as the highly erodable soil will be submerged and compressed by the 35 maf Katzara reservoir. It will also prevent downstream silt flow from the highly erodible soil of Skardu valley. In planning storage dams and reservoirs, the CI ratio is the most vital factor and the key for the selection of the best possible dam site on a river. On this vital ratio the life and the service value of storage dam depends. Besides this, silt flow at Katzarah dam site is nominal. In spite of all round merits, no one took notice of this unique dam site since 1962.
For information, Hoover dam named after President Hoover of USA at Lake Meade on Colorado River with a storage capacity of 28.5 maf creates is the largest reservoir in the world at present. Whereas, Katzarah dam would create a reservoir of 35 maf larger than created by Hoover dam.
Katzarah dam can irrigate a barren area of about 10 million acres on the Right Bank of the Indus River in the four provinces. If sprinkler method of irrigation is used, it can irrigate more than 20 million acres. A Right Bank Irrigation System would be created in the country. This project would economically result in a revolutionary development of land and water, bring pleasant change in climate and create healthy environment and its own ecosystem. This is because the vast desert-like areas would turn into green fields, orchards and forests. Moreover, the Indus basin irrigation system would get assured water supply free of dispute for all times. Katzarah dam can serve as replacement storage, development storage, inter-seasonal storage and carryover storage.
Fortunately, though by chance, the most wonderful aspect of Katzarah dam would be that the three inundation or flood canals namely Thal, Raine, and Kachi with a combine discharge of about 19500 cusecs or 14 maf now under construction would be made perennial. Presently, these flood canals would only run for 70 flood days and remain dry for the rest of 10 months a year.
Moreover, Katzarah dam would make up the inherent deficiency of (117.35-105) = 12.35 maf of water allocated in advance in para 2 of the Water Accord. Storage to make up this deficiency has not been created since 1991. This very factor assumed in advance of creating new storage has resulted in disputes on sharing the imaginary storage of 12.35 maf of floodwater.
In 1962, a proposal was submitted to create a Right Bank Irrigation System to the Federal Govt by Engineer Fateh Ullah Khan to build Katzarah dam, a barrage at Chashma on the Indus with a Right Bank Canal named All Pakistan Grand Canal to irrigate most of the barren right bank areas in the four provinces. Unfortunately, nothing was done to build this unique dam with unlimited benefits though as Chairman IRSA it was repeatedly requested by him to build it to implement the central paras 2,4,6,12 and 14(e) of the Water Accord.
It would take about 7 to 8 years to complete Kalabagh or Basha. By then, Tarbela and Mangla would have lost storage equal to the storage created by the new dam. Therefore, shortage of water and provincial disputes will go on and the new dam at Kalabagh or Basha would not be useful to help solve the water crisis. These dams will only serve as replacement storage and are not meant for the development of new areas.
Against unlimited, multi-purpose and all round advantages of Katzarah dam, the insignificant disadvantages raised by the supporters of Kalabagh dam is that Skardu, its airport and a few Km of road would be submerged. Wherever dams are built, inundation of land is unavoidable. But in densely populated and developed areas in case of Kalabagh Dam, which doesn’t even serve its purpose, the matter is far more serious than the unpopulated, barren and remote area like the Skardu valley that will be affected in case of Katzarah Dam. The planners, engineers and the economists should weigh all the advantages and disadvantages of each dam keeping in view the requirements of water, power, and food and of agricultural development of the future.
