ISLAMABAD, Dec 7: The Mirani dam and Kachhi canal projects are facing considerable delays because of continued security problems at their sites.
Sources said here on Tuesday that Wapda authorities had sought intervention of President Gen Pervez Musharraf to help solve safety problems.
Wapda officials maintained that "the law and order situation at the Mirani dam site warranted fool-proof security and the Balochistan Reserve Police or the Frontier Constabulary be asked to provide security cover to contractors, consultants and project staff".
The government, the sources said, was already disturbed over the fact that despite making repeated requests to the Chinese government, work on the Gomal Zam dam could not be resumed after the kidnapping of two Chinese engineers, one of whom was killed during an encounter with terrorists in October.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz is expected to again raise the issue of resuming work by the Chinese engineers at the Gomal Zam dam during his visit to Beijing this month. China's hydroelectric company withdrew its workers from the Gomal Zam project and cited security problems and reportedly asked the government to terminate its contract.
Sources said that the Commandant of the Border Military Police had called for having the personnel of the army's Engineer Corps clear mines laid down in alignment of the Kachhi Canal (KC5) project by subversive elements in Mazari tribal areas of Rajanpur district.
The officials of Wapda, sources said, have informed the president's secretariat that the BRP Platoon deputed by the Balochistan government for providing security to Wapda staff had no logistics and that they should immediately be provided the required support.
The Kachhi Canal project which had been started in October 2002, would be completed in June 2008 at a cost of Rs31.2 billion provided the government addressed the security issues there.
The Mirani Dam project had commenced in August 2001 and is scheduled to be completed in June 2006 at a cost of Rs5.8 billion. Wapda officials had informed the president's secretariat that so far 48 per cent and 33.94 per cent physical and financial progress, respectively, had been completed.
However, there was only four per cent and 4.12 per cent physical and financial progress, respectively, had been achieved on the Kachhi Canal project. The president's secretariat was also informed that three major surface water schemes - the Chotiari Reservoir, the Chashma Right Bank Irrigation and the Pehur High-level Canal projects had been completed.
The Ghazi Brotha Hydropower Project with a generation capacity of 1450 MW of electricity is functioning and all of its five units were operating now. It was also informed that 18 million acres of waterlogged and saline land had been reclaimed in four provinces.
In this regard, more than 15,000 tubewells had been installed and 12,000kms of surface and 13,000kms of tile drains had been constructed in waterlogged areas. Out of six drainage projects, four had been completed and remaining two projects were at an advance stage of completion.
