KOHAT: Work on raising dyke of Tanda Dam for restoration of its 76,000 acre-feet original storage capacity scheduled for completion in June 2024 has hit snags owing to shortage of funds.

The hydraulic iron gate of the dam is also being remodeled. When the gate is opened upwards, the lake water is released into the irrigation canal. It is also a popular lake-view and wildlife park.

The hot picnic spot is the spillway of the dam through which water gushes out into the canal spreading vapors along with fish. Local children, who are experts in swimming, dive from above the spillway into the canal for catching fish that are sold to visitors.

It is a historical dam that was inaugurated by former president Ayub Khan in 1962 but became functional in 1967. The project had been started at Rs2.5 billion in 2022 but now it could take more than a year for completion if the funds are released on time.

The sub-divisional officer of the irrigation department, Sultan, told this scribe that the Rs1200 million cost escalation was also a major impediment factor but the contractor was cooperating with them and continuing the work.

He said that the water could not reach the tail ends after exhausting its pressure on the way which had been caused by the pileup of dreg in the dam. He said that the water was being released in the under-construction canal when needed by the farmers which did not damage it but strengthened the concrete structure.

He informed that the irrigation canal had been increased to 87 kilometres from 84 kilometres including subsidiaries adding 3.2 kilometres which would benefit 135,000 farmers.

At the time of its inauguration, it had a storage capacity in the en-catchment area of 76,000 acre feet which had come down to only 40,000 acre feet due to silt accumulated during the last 56 years.

KILLED: A young employee of a local bank was killed in Mohallah Mianbadshah on Wednesday night over a petty dispute.

Mohammad Ali and his father Mohammad Shoeb have been nominated in the FIR by Firdous Bibi, the mother of 28-year-old victim Akash.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2024