NaiGaj Dam is an embankment currently under construction on the Gaj River in the gorge area at the edge of the Kirthar Mountains, about 65 kilometres northwest of the Dadu city of the province of Sindh. The construction began in 2012, and when complete its power station will have a 4.2 MW installed capacity. But the dam’s construction is stalled due to a dispute between the federal and the provincial governments.
In every part of the world, lakes with abundant fish are taken care of for more produce, but in Sindh, the fishing system is in the decline. Hundreds of people with their families survive a famine-like situation. The Lake Manchar seems to be in a very bad condition nowadays. It was the largest freshwater lake in Pakistan, and one of the largest in Asia. It also provided large volumes of water for irrigation, but that has also been reduced, resulting in a great decrease in the area irrigated by the lake. The Right Bank Outfall Drain is being built to save the lake from contamination.
Fishing communities can no longer survive on Asia’s largest freshwater lake after a massive artificial drain has contaminated water and destroyed fish stocks.
Apart from serving as a continuous flow of fresh water to the Lake Manchar, which will improve the ecology of the lake, the NaiGaj dam will also serve as a lifeline for the people of the mountainous region in the Dadu district with the potential of changing their socioeconomic conditions.
Apart from serving as a continuous source of freshwater to the Lake Manchar, the NaiGaj Dam will also serve as a lifeline for the people of the mountainous region of Dadu
The dam was scheduled to be completed in June 2019, but as per my information, now that is not possible due to a shortage of funds from the federal government and no proper role of the Sindh government. It is estimated that water will be supplied from the NaiGaj Dam to 28,800 acres in the tehsil Johi and 300,000 acres in the other areas of the Dadu district. The NaiGaj Dam will supply 50 cusecs of water to the Lake Manchar for the purpose of decreasing its pollution.
The estimated cost of the NaiGaj Dam has increased from the initial Rs 16.824 billion to Rs 47 billion, following design changes and deferred financing by the federal government. The Sindh government has accused the federal government of unilateral changes in the NaiGaj Dam design as well as deferred financing, which resulted in a higher estimated cost of Rs 47 billion compared to the initial estimate of Rs 16.924 billion.
The original PC-1 cost of the NaiGaj Dam project was Rs 16.924 billion, which was later revised to Rs 26.236 billion. The first revision was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) with a reduced scope of work by deleting the essential components i.e. powerhouse, access roads, a pipeline to the Lake Manchar and project colony. However, the PC-1 was revised again and submitted by WAPDA and the Ministry of Water Resources with an estimated cost of Rs 46.98 billion, with additional components of powerhouse, project colony, access roads, the actual cost of spillways and pipeline to the Lake Manchar. The project was recommended by the Central Development Working Party and discussed by ECNEC; however, it was deferred due to cost sharing by the government of Sindh.
The secretary of planning informed a Senate standing committee that the second revised PC-1 is pending ECNEC approval regarding cost sharing by the government of Sindh for 50 percent additional cost over the first revision. The government of Sindh, on the other hand, says that the work component is to be fully funded by the federal government.
A Sindh government official said that the federal government is responsible for the complete funding of the project. The provincial government only has the responsibility of land procurement, settlement and security issues. He added that WAPDA took a unilateral decision of changing the project design, and the federal government’s deferred financing led to cost escalation.
Last month, the Supreme Court was informed that the Sindh government was not opposed to the construction of the NaiGaj Dam in the Dadu district. The provincial chief secretary and secretaries of finance and irrigation made the submission before a three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Azmat Saeed. The Sindh Advocate General informed the court that the federal government was responsible for providing complete funding of the dam project, and the province was responsible for procuring the land, resettling the displaced people and ensuring security for the project. He said that the provincial government was ready to provide Rs188 million for the first year of the waterworks project.
Apart from serving as a continuous source of freshwater to the Lake Manchar, which will improve the ecology of the lake, the NaiGaj Dam will also serve as a lifeline for the people of the mountainous region of Dadu with the potential of changing socioeconomic conditions of the people of the area.
The PPP in Sindh is the leading political party and is in government for the third time government. It must do due diligence to save a beautiful lake, also Asia’s largest.
The writer is a retired doctor of the Sindh Health Department