CPEC is Transforming The Least Developed Parts of Pakistan

[Riaz Haq]

In a New York Times Op Ed titled "How Not to Engage With Pakistan",  ex US Ambassador to Pakistan Richard G. Olson says "Its (CPEC's) magnitude and its transformation of parts of Pakistan dwarf anything the United States has ever undertaken".  Olson goes on to warn the Trump Administration that "Without Pakistani cooperation, our (US) army in Afghanistan risks becoming a beached whale".

Among the parts of Pakistan being transformed by China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are some of the least developed regions in Balochistan and Sindh, specifically Gwadar and Thar Desert. Here is more on these regions:

Gwadar Port City:

Gwadar is booming. It's being called the next Shenzhen by some and the next Hong Kong by others as an emerging new port city in the region to rival Dubai. Land prices in Gwadar are skyrocketing, according to media reports. Gwadar Airport air traffic growth of 73% was the fastest of all airports in Pakistan where overall air traffic grew by 23% last year, according to Anna Aero publication.  A new international airport is now being built in Gwadar to handle soaring passenger and cargo traffic.

In addition to building a major seaport that will eventually handle 300-400 million tons of cargo in a year, China has built a school, sent doctors and pledged about $500 million in grants for an airport, hospital, college and badly-needed water supply infrastructure for Gwadar, according to Reuters.

400 Km Long Kachhi Canal From Punjab to Balochistan

The Chinese grants include $230 million for a new international airport in Gwadar, one of the largest such disbursements China has made abroad, according to researchers and Pakistani officials.

New development work in Gwadar is expected to create as many as 20,000 jobs for the local population.

Steel Bridges on Multan-Qila Saifullah Section of Highway N-70 Conn...

Thar Desert:

Thar, one of the least developed regions of Pakistan, is seeing unprecedented development activity in energy and infrastructure projects.  New roads, airports and buildings are being built along with coal mines and power plants as part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). There are construction workers and machinery visible everywhere in the desert. Among the key beneficiaries of this boom are Thari Hindu women who are being employed by Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) as part of the plan to employ locals. Highlighted in recent news reports are two Hindu women in particular: Kiran Sadhwani, an engineer and Gulaban, a truck driver.

Kiran Sadhwani, a Thari Hindu Woman Engineer. Source: Express Tribune

Thar Population:

The region has a population of 1.6 million. Most of the residents are cattle herders. Majority of them are Hindus.  The area is home to 7 million cows, goats, sheep and camel. It provides more than half of the milk, meat and leather requirement of the province. Many residents live in poverty. They are vulnerable to recurring droughts.  About a quarter of them live where the coal mines are being developed, according to a report in The Wire.

Hindu Woman Truck Driver in Thar, Pakistan. Source: Reuters

Some of them are now being employed in development projects.  A recent report talked of an underground coal gasification pilot project near the town of Islamkot where "workers sourced from local communities rested their heads after long-hour shifts".

Hindu Woman Truck Driver in Thar, Pakistan. Source: Reuters

In the first phase, Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) is relocating 5 villages that are located in block II.  SECMC is paying villagers for their homes and agricultural land.

SECMC’s chief executive officer, Shamsuddin Ahmed Shaikh, says his company "will construct model towns with all basic facilities including schools, healthcare, drinking water and filter plants and also allocate land for livestock grazing,” according to thethirdpole.net He says that the company is paying villagers above market prices for their land – Rs. 185,000 ($ 1,900) per acre.

Summary:

Ex US Ambassador Richard Olson is absolutely right in his assessment that "(CPEC's) magnitude and its transformation of parts of Pakistan dwarf anything the United States has ever undertaken".  Olson goes on to warn the Trump Administration that "Without Pakistani cooperation, our (US) army in Afghanistan risks becoming a beached whale". The "magnitude" of CPEC and its "transformation" that Olson refers to is clearly visible in some of the least developed regions of Pakistan in Balochistan and Sindh provinces.  Gwadar port city and Thar desert are humming with unprecedented development activity fueled by billions of dollars of funds allocated by China and Pakistan.  

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[Riaz Haq]

Spotlight: CPEC mine project proves to be oasis in desert for underprivileged people in Pakistan's Thar region

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-04/10/c_137965626.htm

Pakistan's Thar Coal Mining Block II project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has helped improve rural people's livelihood in the Thar district of the country's southern Sindh province by offering business opportunities, jobs as well as healthcare and education.

The project was launched in April 2016 in Thar district with an aim to tackle energy deficiency by generating electricity through coal.

A joint venture was formed under the project between China Machinery Engineering Corporation, the Sindh government and Pakistani private companies. Recently, a pit-mouth coal-fired power plant in the project was tested and energized both of its units of 330MW.

Initial estimates of the Thar coalfield block II revealed that the reserve has approximately 2.4 billion tons of coal resources.

Echoing a famous saying among local people that "Thar will change Pakistan," many local economists believe that CPEC will be the game changer for the Pakistani economy.

It is believed that the coal mine project would not only alleviate the energy hunger of Pakistan, but also bring prosperity to the country, particularly in Thar region.

Thar is one of the hottest areas in the country where mercury rises over 50 Celsius degrees in summer. The occupation of majority of the population are animal husbandry and agriculture, but due to absence of rain in the subtropical region, both professions become very challenging for locals.

Safoora Bibi cooks over 20 kg of food with her two assistants everyday, and people from the project transport the food to local workers at the project site. Bibi is happy that she earns a good sum of money by staying at home and doing the job she loves.

Bibi has a daughter who is studying English. By working as a caterer for the project, Bibi is hopeful that she will be able to send her daughter to a good university in the provincial capital of Karachi and get a good job in the future.

Raj Kumar, assistant manager of Small and Medium Enterprise with the project owner Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC), told Xinhua that they provided training to Bibi and her assistants from a professional chef, and signed a contract of 3 million rupees (about 21,000 U.S. dollars) with Bibi, and they are planning to further expand Bibi's business as she is a diligent worker.

Meanwhile, the development of the project has brought tremendous improvement in the education sector of the region. Since the launch of the coal mine project, 12 schools including three with a capacity of 900 students each and nine with a capacity of 180 students each have been built in the remote village of Thar, where the literacy level was traditionally low.

Ashok Bakhtani, assistant manager of Corporate Social Responsibility (SCR) under the Thar coal mine project, said they are providing free education to some 2,300 children from nearby villages, and all the teachers are local women.

"The boys and girls are now the 'radiance' of the schools built under CPEC. Now they come to school everyday to learn languages, science, arts, math, history and social mannerism," said Bakhtani.

Sankar, a worker in one of the schools, said he used to work as a laborer in the village and sometimes his family had to sleep hungry because he could not make enough money to feed them. Now both he and his wife work in the school and have good income every month.

"I couldn't afford to send my son to school earlier, but now he is studying free of cost here. Now we can eat to our full and buy clothes whenever we want," he said.

[Riaz Haq]

Spotlight: CPEC mine project proves to be oasis in desert for underprivileged people in Pakistan's Thar region (contd)

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-04/10/c_137965626.htm

Under the project, a medical center was also launched where locals are provided with free medical facilities. A pediatric, a gynecologist and a general physician provide free medical check ups to locals. Tests and laboratory examinations are also provided in the hospital free of charge.

Fehmida, the gynecologist in the hospital told Xinhua that people's perspective about healthcare has changed a lot since the hospital was built.

"Initially people resorted to self-medication for every disease. Taking pregnant women to hospital was not a general practice of the local community as they would rely more on village mid-wives, due to which the number of mother and neonatal mortality was high, but after we started medical center here, number of pregnant women visiting the hospital increased greatly."

Clean drinking water is also a major issue for locals, as there used to be only a few wells in the area. Women used to walk a long distance every day to fetch drinking water in temperature as high as 50 Celsius degrees, and the water was usually non-drinkable, causing many water-borne diseases in local people. But now clean drinking water is provided to local people near their homes under the Thar coal mine project.

Talking to Xinhua, Naseer Memon, general manager of Corporate Social Responsibility in the SECMC, said they are also working to protect local handicrafts by buying products directly from local people on market rates, thus improving the financial condition of local craftsmen.

He said they also trained a number of unskilled laborers from Thar to give them opportunity to reap the harvest of CPEC by getting employment.

The general manager said many of the laborers were later hired by other companies because of their expertise learnt from the project, and they filled the slot by training more people.

[Riaz Haq]

306 Km #Sukkur-#Hyderabad Motorway in #Pakistan to revolutionize interior #Sindh. It will be constructed on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis. It will complete #CPEC eastern route from #Khunjarab Pass to #Gwadar via #Karachi - Profit by Pakistan Today https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/07/18/sukkur-hyderabad-mot...

Lt Gen (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa, chairman of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority, said on Saturday that the Sukkur-Hyderabad (M-6) Motorway project will bring a development revolution in interior Sindh.

In a tweet, Bajwa, who is also the prime minister’s special assistant on information and broadcast, said that the 306-kilometre highway was approved in a meeting of the executive committee of the National Economic Council (NEC) which will be constructed on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis. BOT is a model for large-scale infrastructure projects, wherein a private entity receives a concession from the public sector to finance, design, construct, own, and operate a facility.

He said following the construction of the project, the eastern route of the CPEC (Peshawar-Karachi) will also be completed

Bajwa added that the project would also connect eastern Balochistan to the countrywide network of motorways.

[Riaz Haq]

#CPEC transforms #Pakistan's remote #GilgitBaltistan. #Investors believe the region will become #business & #tourism hub after full operationalization of #China-#Pakistan Economic Corridor http://v.aa.com.tr/1945160

Formerly known as the Northern Area and once part of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, the region at the confluence of world’s greatest mountain ranges – the Karakoram, the Himalaya, the Hindukush, and the Pamir – is witnessing a brain gain, as people return to invest in the region.

Rich in history, culture, and natural beauty the area which also remained a center of rivalries between Russian, British and Chinese empires has been a cynosure of trekkers and adventure tourists over centuries.

Hassan Nasar 46, has returned from Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, and has established business of precious and semi-precious stones business in Gilgit, the provincial capital of GB. Since the region became a gateway for the multi-billion dollar CPEC, banks, investors, food chains are moving into the mountainous region.

"I have moved here [Gilgit] from Bangkok in April this year and invested a hefty sum because this city is the future business hub after the CPEC becomes fully operational," said Nasar, owner of Gems Gallery located in the beautiful city market.

Scores of people in the picturesque market in the city, which is about 600 kilometers (372 miles) from the Pakistani capital of Islamabad told Anadolu Agency that CPEC is turning a gamechanger and is changing their fortunes.

The $64 billion CPEC -- a network of roads, railways, and pipelines -- is aiming to connect China's strategically important northwestern Xinxiang province to the port of Gawadar in far away in Balochistan.

While the corridor will give China easy access to Africa and the Mideast, it will make Pakistan earn billions of dollars and spur business activities along the road network replacing the fabled Silk Road.

Nasar, however, said while business prospects are fabulous, the weather plays a spoiler, referring to the harsh winter season from November to March when most of the areas get blocked by heavy snow.

Beautiful valleys

Speaking to Anadolu Agency former Chief Minister of GB Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman said the government has developed the infrastructure to attract more tourists and investors over the past five years. He completed his five-year tenure on June 23.

The region hosts several beautiful valleys including Nagar, Hunza, Gilgit, Attaabad, Khaplu, Shiger, Gupis, Astore, and Skardu Valley thus attracts the local and foreign tourists in the summer season.

On the pattern of investments, Rehman said those who want to invest in dollars will have to come here though the Pakistan government and those who invest in local currency need to approach directly to the local authorities. He described the blocking of roads due to snowfall an impediment in the way of large investments.

According to the officials, the region has great energy potential due to huge water resources. They believe that the region can generate over 50,000-megawatt electricity from water.

"We want to invite the Turkish companies to come and invest in the power sector," said the former chief minister.

The region is accessible through Karakoram and Kaghan-Naran highways. But the

Naran-Babusar road, which connects Chillas district of GB, remaining close for six months during winter due to heavy snowfall.

Karakoram Highway, a technological marvel

The local people use 784 km. (487 mi) Karakoram Highway in winter. The road is considered as the eighth wonder of the world due to its high elevation and crisscrossing highest mountains.

Completed in 20 years by Chinese and Pakistani engineers, as many as 1,000 people lost their lives during its construction. The road passes through extremely dangerous Rocky Mountains overlooking the fast-flowing Indus river, thousands of feet below.

The travelers here also witness the confluence of the three highest mountain ranges with Gilgit River melting into the Indus River at the same junction.

[Riaz Haq]

Projects for third phase under CPEC discussed

https://www.dawn.com/news/1588694

The second meeting of Joint Work­ing Group on socio-economic development under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor framework on Wednesday decided to prepare projects for the third phase, and the Chinese government was asked to send experts for the implementation of priority projects.

The meeting via video link discussed and reviewed the projects under $1 billion Chinese grant, and expres­sed satisfaction over the pace of progress of projects under the joint working group in key areas of agriculture, education, health, poverty and vocational training.

The joint working group decided to prepare documents for signing as deliverables of the forthcoming 10th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting which will discuss implementation of the second phase of CPEC. The pandemic situation had delayed the holding of JCC meeting.

The fast-track and priority projects specifically reviewed by the working group were agriculture tech­­nology laboratories, provision of equipment and tools and demonstration stations in the agriculture sector, smart classroom project and overseas student scholarship programme in the education sector, Pakistan Vocational Schools Equip­ment and solarisation project in Balochistan in addition to drinking water supply project for AJK and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Moreover, Pak-China Friend­­ship Hospital, Voca­tional Technical School and desalination plant in Gwadar were also discussed, and two sides reiterated to implement these ongoing projects as per the decided timelines.

The meeting was co-chaired by Vice Chairman, China International Deve­lop­­ment and Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), Boqing, Vice Chairman Secretary Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Mathar Niaz Rana.

The Pakistan side appreciated the assistance provided by the Chinese government for socio-economic uplift of the country and also acknowledged the support extended during Covid-19 pandemic; especially the medical equipment and supplies.

The Pakistani delegation emphasised to expedite technical education projects including cooperative project with Pak-Austria Fachhochschule: Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology in KP and Punjab Tianjin University of Technology.

It was also suggested to carry out the Burn Centre projects in all provinces and regions on priority.

Further­more, the Pakistani side also discussed the poverty alleviation research project with Chinese side and desired to learn from Chinese experience in this area.

[Riaz Haq]

#Chinese Foreign Ministry: #China, #Pakistan to forge #CPEC into demonstration program for quality #BRI coop. CPEC contributes to not only economic and social development in China and Pakistan, but also regional connectivity and common development http://www.ecns.cn/news/cns-wire/2020-11-05/detail-ihacshup9271756....

China will continue working with Pakistan to forge China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into a demonstration program for quality BRI cooperation that benefits the people of China, Pakistan and the whole region, said Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry.

China firmly supports the building of CPEC, Wang made the remarks at a regular press conference in Beijing on Wednesday.

"The CPEC is an important pilot BRI project and flagship for China-Pakistan bilateral cooperation. Since its building started more than seven years ago, major progress has been achieved and a lot of projects have been launched or completed, bringing over $25 billion of direct investment to Pakistan," Wang said.

In a meeting with new Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong on Tuesday, Pakistani President Arif Alvi said that China's development brings important opportunities to the region and the whole world, adding that Pakistan will unswervingly push forward bilateral ties and the implementation of the CPEC.

Last month, Orange Line, an early harvest project under CPEC, was inaugurated in Lahore, introducing an era of metro train services for Pakistan.

Completed projects have greatly improved the country's transport infrastructure and power supply, created more than 70,000 local jobs, contributed 1 to 2 percent to Pakistan's GDP growth every year, and significantly boosted its socio-economic development and local wellbeing.

The CPEC contributes to not only economic and social development in China and Pakistan, but also regional connectivity and common development, the spokesperson maintained.

Nearly 20,000 tons of commodities like wheat, sugar and fertilizer have been transferred via Gwadar Port to Afghanistan since the first half of the year, creating almost 1,000 jobs in the process.

[Riaz Haq]

Pakistan, US cooperation to help increase energy capacity

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/740221-pakistan-us-cooperation-to-...

In partnership with the United States Government, the Managing Director of the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) inaugurated the Patrind Power Transmission Project Thursday.

This mutual investment from the United States and Pakistan will add 147 megawatts (MW) of hydroelectric capacity to Pakistan’s National Energy Grid.

The United States Government, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), supported the effort by constructing transmission lines and upgrading grid stations in the Azad Kashmir/Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) region. This effort will ultimately strengthen private sector investments in clean-energy projects. With this NTDC and USAID investment, Patrind is now selling electricity to the national grid and repaying its debt and equity obligations.

This achievement demonstrates that with strategic government support, the energy sector can be a driver of local and national economic growth. “The US Government is partnering with the Government of Pakistan to strengthen Pakistan’s energy sector and make it more competitive through the use of sustainable energy sources like hydroelectricity,” said USAID Mission Director Julie Koenen.

“Working with the Government of Pakistan, we have supported infrastructure projects, operational improvements, and policy reforms to help the energy sector function more efficiently and sustainably.

These efforts are helping Pakistan meet the needs of its growing population and economy.” Since 2010, USAID has partnered with the Government of Pakistan to add more than 3,600 MW to the national grid. These investments are benefitting more than 43 million Pakistanis, reducing costs for energy distribution companies by $429 million, and leveraging more than $2.3 billion in private investment.

USAID has also supported the construction of new transmission lines and substations to evacuate power from wind power projects to the national grid, as well as rehabilitated thermal and hydroelectric power plants. To ensure Pakistan’s future energy security, the U.S. Government will provide technical assistance to improve planning processes and operational procedures, introduce new technologies, and transition toward a competitive market structure with more participation by private sector companies.

[Riaz Haq]

Matiari-Lahore project equivalent to main artery of North-South transmission power grid: Chief Engineer

https://www.app.com.pk/global/matiari-lahore-project-equivalent-to-...

Matiari-Lahore direct current transmission line project is equivalent to the “main artery” of Pakistan’s North-South transmission power grid, China Power Equipment Corporation’s third business Chief Engineer Chang Yong said.

“Previously, Pakistan had only AC power transmission projects. In terms of long-distance, large-capacity power transmission, compared with AC transmission, DC transmission projects have the advantages of small loss, long transmission distance, and higher economy,” he told CRI Online.

He said that the transmission power could account for about one-sixth of Pakistan’s entire grid, which will provide strong support for the local future development.
According to CRI Online, the Matiari-Lahore ± 660kV direct current transmission line project, a key project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, has been completed.

With the completion of the no-load compression open circuit (OLT) test for the DC bipolar in Lahore converter Station, the live DC field of 660 kV was successfully completed, marking the historic highest voltage level of Pakistan’s national grid reached 660 kV.

As the only power transmission and transformation project under the “Priority Implementation” project list of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the Matiari-Lahore DC project is an important measure taken by the State Grid Co., Ltd. to serve the “Belt and Road” construction, and is an important part of the international engineering construction field to prevent the epidemic. The results are also a new opportunity to promote the internationalization of power standards, according to a report of CRI Online.

The Matiari-Lahore is Pakistan’s first DC transmission project. It is currently the project with the highest voltage level and the longest transmission line in Pakistan. It is the first ±660 kV DC project with fully independent intellectual property rights in the world by the State Grid Corporation of China.

The only power grid project in the Pakistan Economic Corridor Energy Cooperation Agreement. After the project is put into operation, it will effectively alleviate the power shortage in Punjab Province, Pakistan’s most important economic center, and the capital Islamabad, greatly promote Pakistan’s economic development, improve people’s living standards, and contribute to the deepening of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the promotion of China-Pakistan energy cooperation. It is of great significance.

The project has a total investment of US$1.658 billion and started construction on December 1, 2018. The starting point of the project is the Matiari Converter Station, which is about 15 kilometers northeast of Matiari in Sindh province, and the end point is the Lahore Converter Station, which is about 40 kilometers southwest of Lahore, Punjab. The project includes two ±660 kV DC converter stations, 886 kilometers of DC transmission lines and related supporting projects.

The Matiari-Lahore DC project is invested and constructed by China Power Technology Equipment Co., Ltd., and is the first BOOT (build-own-operate-transfer) project of the State Grid Corporation of China overseas. The project has established the construction principles of “advance planning, individual review, process optimization and overall promotion” from the beginning of the preparation, and the goal is to “build a world-class quality project”.

The design, construction, and operation and maintenance of the project completely adopt Chinese standards, and truly realize “Made in China”, which will drive design, equipment and technology to “go global.”

[Riaz Haq]

Major work on 886km Matiari-Lahore transmission line completed

https://www.dawn.com/news/1587725

Pakistan’s first and mega High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) project — Matiari-Lahore transmission line — has almost been completed as engineers finished the entire line stringing work besides energising the converter station near Lahore.

The project, launched under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, has now officially entered the testing and commissioning phase that is likely to complete by December this year, Dawn has learnt.

“We have completed all major works (civil, electrical, mechanical, erection etc) of the 886km transmission line. After completion, the project has officially entered a new stage of energised DC (direct current) commissioning,” Mr. Wang Bo, Deputy CEO of Pak Matiari-Lahore Transmission Company, which is responsible for the construction and operation of the project, told Dawn.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD

“Within a week of the completion of the transmission line, we have also completed the commissioning of the Lahore Converter Station/DC system (energising amid achieving of 660kV voltages) built near Lahore, marking the beginning of a new era of DC transmission in Pakistan’s power industry. This is a remarkable achievement,” he added.

“Moreover, the converter station built at Matiari is set to be energised on November 1.”

The $1.68 billion project is the first HVDC project in the country and the second in the entire world. Comparing it with all the power transmission projects in the country, it has the highest voltage level as it is also the most technically sophisticated and most difficult one in terms of construction.

The work on the line was officially launched in December, 2018 across Sindh and Punjab. The transmission line was divided into eight lots, crossing desert, farmland, rivers, military area, national park, wildlife reserves gas pipelines, railways, highways, and several 500kV, 220kV, 132kV transmission lines on the way.

The project will evacuate 4,000MW power from plants in south to urban load centres in Punjab. The power generation projects from where the Matiari-Lahore HVDC line will evacuate power included 1,320MW Shanghai Electric, 660MW Thar Engro, 2200MW K-II and K-III and 1,320MW Port Qasim plants.

“The whole line has total 2,362 tower foundations, weighing more than 71,000 tonnes and consisting 220,000 cubic meters concrete and 17,000 tonnes of steel bars. For the first time in Pakistan, the four-split 1,250 square millimeter large-section conductor was used. The total quantity of conductor is about 28,000 tonnes. The workload has set a new record in the field of power transmission in Pakistan,” Mr Bo explained.

“They constantly kept optimising the construction methodology and adjusting the construction plan, making the best of utilising local resources, actively adopting innovative construction methods such as using drones for stringing, stringing cross live line with isolation nets etc. We managed to achieve the record high of complete 209km of UHV (ultra high voltage) transmission line in one month,” he maintained.

[Riaz Haq]

Small dams, a harbinger of resolving Pakistan’s water woes

https://thefrontierpost.com/small-dams-a-harbinger-of-resolving-pak....

Known as the home of longest River Indus (3180km) in Asia, Pakistan is a unique country with plenty of small and big rivers gifted with natural sites for construction of more dams to address the longstanding water woes of the country.

The country has more than 24 big and small rivers including five in Punjab, four in Sindh, eight in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and seven in Balochistan had numerous suitable natural sites for construction of small, medium and big dams to fulfill the growing water needs of the people.

Pakistan is also the home of rivers Chanab, Jhelum, Ravi, Sutlaj and Beas in Punjab, Kabul, Swat, Punjkora, Kunhar, Bara, Kurram, Haroo, Gomal, Chitral in KP, Nari, Bolan, Pishin, Lara, Mula, Hub, Zhob, Porali, Hangol, Rakshan, Dasht in Balochistan and four rivers in Sindh province.

The effective utilization of its water for agriculture, electricity generation and fish farming will make the country economically prosperous.

These rivers are endowed with a number of potential sites at Diamir Bhasa, Dasu Kohistan, Kalabagh on River Sindh, Mohamad and Kalam on River Swat, Shalman Khyber on River Kabul, Tangi on River Kurram in North Waziristan, Kaghan-Naran on River Kunhar for construction of water reservoirs.

Despite having enormous water potential, Pakistan is gradually moving towards water-scared country where most of living creatures including humans, animals, plants, wildlife, mammals and reptiles are facing the looming threats of water scarcity.

The National Water Policy (NWP) 2018 has revealed that Pakistan was heading towards a situation of water shortage due to lack of water reservoirs, which may lead to food insecurity for all living creatures by 2025.

The policy disclosed that per capita surface water availability has significantly declined from 5,260 cubic meters per year in 1951 to around 1,000 cubic meters in 2016.

This quantity is likely to further drop to 860 cubic meters by 2025, marking Pakistan’s transition from a water stressed country to a water scarce country.

The groundwater situation is expected to further drop in the country mostly in Punjab and Sindh where one million tube-wells are currently pumping about 55 million acres feet (MAF) of underground water for irrigation, which is 20pc more than that available from canals.

Talking to APP, former Ambassador of Pakistan Manzoorul Haq said, “the policy’s findings are alarming. We need to swiftly shift our approach from construction of big dams to small dams that can prove harbinger of self-sufficiency in food and increasing exports of agro-based industries.”

He said water resources were inextricably linked with climate and the impending climate change scenario has posed serious implications for Pakistan’s water resources.

The changing and unpredictable precipitation patterns may have serious consequences, including flash floods in north and increasingly prolonged droughts in the south, he added.

Manzoorul Haq said that the glaciers retreat, more glacial lakes will form, increasing the risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) that is already becoming increasingly common and hazardous in northern parts of the country.

The small dams are only remedy to store flood and rainy water mostly in arid areas like Karak, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Kohat, DI Khan, DG Khan, Bhakkar, Bahawalpur, Multan, Tharparkar besides merged areas of erstwhile Fata to bring maximum dry land under cultivation and minimize impact of natural disasters, he said.

Economist and Water expert, Sumbul Riaz said that Pakistan receives around 142MAF water annually through western rivers of which 104MAF used for irrigation purposes.

Similarly, approximately 40MAF water is obtained from normal rainfall and 40pc through underground water per year, she added.

Sumbul Riaz said currently Pakistan has a storage capacity of only 30 days for water, India has 90 days while as per international standard, and the safe period for water storage is 130 days.

She said Pakistan was the only country with diversity in weather, rainfalls, landscape, forests, climate, and mountains with capacity to construct 1000 small dams.

Former Chairman Wapda Shamsul Mulk said small dams are a backbone of agriculture in developing countries like Pakistan and we can achieve self-sufficiency in food through establishing a network of small dams.

 He said 46,000 dams have been constructed worldwide whereas China has built 22,000 dams and India 4,500 dams.

Mulk said small dams were being preferred mostly in developing countries like SAARC for irrigation of agriculture and drinking water because it is cost & time efficient and do not require foreign investment compare to big dams, adding small dams can easily be constructed in two to three years while big dams mostly require 10 to 15 years.

Mujahid Saeed, Director General Small Dams Irrigation Department said feasibility studies and designs of 26 small dams having 166,282 cultivable command area and 555,103 acres feet storage capacity, has been either completed or practical work in progress in different districts of KP.