Small dams are a great source of tourism and KP can earn a substantial revenue
our correspondent
PESHAWAR
As many as 25 small dams have been completed in different areas of Khyber Pakthunkhwa to store floods and rains water during monsoon for irrigation and drinking purposes.
As many as nine dams were completed under annual development program include Gandyaley, Chanday Fatehay Khan and Auxilliary Kandar in Kohat, Azakhel in Peshawar, Naryab in Hangu, Sharki, Ghanghoz Karak, Darganatu in Bannu and Jalozai dam in Nowshera during 2002-2019.
Under Public Sector Development Program (PSDP), a total of nine dams were completed includes Laughar, Karak, Ghole Banda and Mardankhel in Karak, Khari Bara in Haripur, Jabba Khattak in Nowshera, Palai in Charsadda, Darmalak in Kohat and Kundal dam in Swabi during 2003-2019.
Before establishment of small dams construction unit, a total of seven small dams were constructed up to 2002 to store flood and rains water in Bannu, Kohat and Haripur districts.
The constructed dams include Baran Dam in Bannu with storage capacity of 98000 acre feet to irrigate 170,500 acres land with a cost of Rs1123.76 million, Tanda dam in Kohat at a cost of Rs564.480 million with water storage capacity of 99000 acres feet besides 31,600 acres cultivable command area (CCA), Kandar dam in Kohat costing Rs18.669 million with 1400 CCA and water storage capacity of 2650 acres feet.
Similarly, Darwazai dam in Kohat costing Rs11.179 million with cultivable command area of 650 acres and storage capacity of 1500 acres feet, Khal dam in Haripur costing Rs12.660 million with 450CCA, Chatri dam in Haripur costing Rs7.750million with 300CCA and 540 acres feet storage capacity and Khanpur dam in Haripur costing Rs1384.984 million with water storage capacity of 9300 acres feet water storage capacity to irrigate 3500 acres land were completed.
These small dams are a great source of tourism and KP can also earn a substantial revenue by developing recreational points in its premises besides using its water for fish farming to generate employment opportunities for thousands of people.
