ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The federal government is sponsoring construction of 32 dam projects worth approximately Rs 1.057 billion, the National Assembly was told.
The Minister for Water Resources Musadik Masood Malik told the House in writing on Friday that the federal government is financing construction of various small, medium and large dams/reservoirs in the Country through the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP).
These projects are planned to store surplus water which becomes available during the flood season and to provide the same for irrigation and drinking purposes when the natural flow of water in rivers get reduced.
The minister said that during the current Fiscal Year 2024-25, the federal government is sponsoring construction of 32 dam projects, costing Rs 1,056.985.586 million. He added that once completed, these projects would store about 8,429,288 acre-feet of water.
Musadik Malik told that the new areas which would come under irrigation after completion of these 32 dams would be 436,934 acres whereas the 6.4 million acre-ft water stored in Diamer Basha Dam would be utilised to augment irrigation supplies presently being made to the existing 45 million acres of canal- irrigated land in the Indus Basin Irrigation System.
In addition to the above, cognizant of the water scarcity and climate change situation, there are several projects are planning stages, mainly including the Shyok Darn Multipurpose Project (5.0 MAF), Akhori Dam Project (6.0 MAF), Chiniot Dam Project (0.9 MAF), and Murunj Dam Project (0.45 MAF).
