ISLAMABAD, March 12: An inter-provincial committee on large dams has failed to reach consensus on construction of Kalabagh and Akhori dams and has promised to present a resettlement action plan for Bhasha dam by June 2008.

The committee led by Water and Power Secretary Ashfaq Mehmood has finalised a schedule for achieving different milestones to complete the Bhasha dam by 2016, says its final report.

The committee constituted by the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) in October last year comprised the chairman of the Planning Board of Punjab, additional chief secretaries of the three other provinces and a member of the Planning Commission.

It finalised the report on Jan 27 but it could not make any progress on two aspects of its responsibility.

It said that since a separate task force had been constituted by the prime minister regarding financing of large dams, it should not address questions relating to ‘funding needs and financing arrangements’. On the responsibility of ‘sequencing of project implementation,’ the committee said that “efforts should be made to implement the cabinet’s decision in letter and in spirit for building all the five dams by 2016.”

On the Kalabagh dam, the report briefly said that “Sindh and the NWFP conveyed their reservations regarding Kalabagh dam and stated that these need to be resolved before embarking upon the project. Sindh also had concerns about the availability of water for large dams amongst other issues.”

On Diamer Basha dam, the committee said the process of land acquisition had already been started. After deliberations “it was decided that acquisition of land should commence on firming up the contours of the land to be acquired and in accordance with the president’s address to the nation of Jan 17.”

It said “the prequalification activities for contractors are proposed to be started in early 2007 keeping in view the guidelines of (the) World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Pre-qualification process shall be finalised by early 2008.”

The detailed engineering of Bhasha dam has been targeted to be completed by March 2008.

The report said the consultants had prepared a resettlement survey plan. “Cadastral survey is being started in 2007. The resettlement action plan shall be available by June 2007. This would indicate the schedule of resettlement.” The revenue department’s officials, such as tehsildars and patwaris, have been deployed on deputation from the Northern Areas for measuring and carrying out survey of houses and the property for the people to be displaced by the dam.

Six contract packages for upgrading the Karakoram Highway (KKH) from Havelian to the dam site will be started concurrently. The work will take three years and its PC-I is in the process of finalisation, which also envisages an action plan prepared by consultants.

On Munda dam, the report revealed that serious issues still needed to be resolved. It said the detailed study of the project had been prepared by Amzo in the private sector as a power project but the NWFP government wanted it to be a multipurpose project with irrigation, floodwater and power as priorities. It said preparation of the detailed engineering design would be initiated shortly after sorting out the issue of the dam’s height and live storage capacity with the provincial government and the Water and Power Development Authority.

On Akhori dam, the report said that its detailed feasibility study had been prepared by Wapda and circulated among the provinces for comments. The provinces had offered comments which would be addressed by the authority.

On Kurram Tangi dam, the report said its construction would be carried out by the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO). The project would be completed over a period of four years. “The government of the NWFP has reservations regarding operational constraints, the height of the dam and water rights.” The issues were being addressed but the FWO had been asked to furnish the bidding proposal for the construction immediately.

On ‘environmental issues and mitigation measures,’ the committee reported that some provinces had commented on them with reference to large dams and Wapda had been directed to address them according to an earlier decision of the Executive Committee the National Economic Council.