The dams would have a combined storage capacity of 9500 acre feet water — Dawn (File Photo)

DADU: Construction of three small dams, designed to harvest rainwater, began in the mountainous areas of Dadu district on Wednesday.

Talking to reporters at the site of the Chhore dam, the chief engineer said that Kakrani dam would have storage capacity of 3000 acre feet water, Chhore dam 2,500 acre feet water and Dhondhoro dam 4,000 acre feet water.

He said that water stored in the dams would be used to cultivate 19,000 acres of land, and added that the dams would also minimise devastations caused by hill torrents.

He said that the dams were being constructed at a cost of Rs260 million provided by the federal government and their construction would be completed by the end of April, 2012.

He said that work on six more small dams - including Neheng dam near Neheng town, Angai dam near Pir Gaji Shah mountain, Halili dam near Halili village and Buri dam and Khari dam in Khairpur Nathan Shah - would begin soon.

He said that the Sindh government had released funds for the dams and work on them was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2012.Water stored in the dams would be supplied to villages for drinking purpose and cultivation over 25,000 acres of land, the official said.

MPA Syed Ghulam Shah Jilani said that under the directives of President Asif Ali Zardari, a network of small dams was being laid in the mountainous areas of Dadu.

MPA Dr Sajeela Leghari said that the dams were constructed on the paths of hill torrents which had caused huge losses of property and animals in last year's heavy rains.