ISLAMABAD, Nov 6: The federal government has asked the Technical Committee on Water Resources (TCWR) to submit by the end of this month its interim report on the construction of large dams, it is learnt.

The TCWR, led by Mr A.N.G. Abbasi, has convened its meeting on Nov 22 to discuss the matter. The committee will remain in session for six days.

Sources said the committee would finalize its recommendations on the overall availability of water in the country. The exercise would help determine whether or not sufficient surplus water is available to prove viability of a large dam.

In previous meetings, Wapda had presented a total water availability of at least 148 MAF (million acre feet) which meant that more than 22 MAF would still be available for a new dam after meeting all other requirements. Sindh was not satisfied with the figures.

The committee has invited the Indus River System Authority and Wapda on Nov 23-24 for presentation on three aspects - filling criteria for the Mangla dam's proposed enhanced capacity, operational criteria for withdrawals to link canals and overall operation of future dams.

The discussion on these inter-linked subjects would determine as to how the authorities should plan to fill the additional portion of the Mangla dam and on what patterns do they intend to release water to link canals in both Rabi and Kharif seasons and how the irrigation authorities would fill and deplete the new reservoirs.

On Nov 25-27, the committee would deliberate upon these presentations and then prepare its recommendations on the question whether any of the two - Kalabagh and Bhasha - dams could be taken up for construction.

The sources said the committee planned to submit its interim or partial report to the government by the end of this month or early next month.

Meanwhile, a ministerial delegation is likely to visit the project site of the Kalabagh Dam after Eid and meet some influential personalities of the area to try to take them on board on any major decision on the issue.