ISLAMABAD:The Bara Dam proposed to alter the existing Bara River for promoting agriculture in the erstwhile tribal region and electricity generation is awaiting the approval of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.
The proposed small, low-head, earth core rockfill, hydroelectric dam possessed the power generation capacity of 5.8 megawatts per annum which was located across Bara River at the confluence of Mastura River in Tirah Valley of newly merged district of Khyber.
The estimated cost of the project was US$311 million (14.2 billion, out of which $227 million for civil works and $28 million for electro-mechanical works were required.
The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) as the project implementing body wrote letter to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government to consider funds for the project in the fiscal year 2019-2020 so that PC-II of the project was to be resubmitted.
A WAPDA official told reporter that with the construction of the proposed Bara Dam, flood waters of Bara River would be stored and used for irrigation and power generation purposes.
He added that the gross storage of the reservoir was 105 million cubic metres (85,363 acre feet) of which an average of about 110 million cubic metres (89,000 acre ft) of water would be annually available for developing irrigated agriculture of command area of about 17,000 hectares (42,000 acres).
Damming the flow of Bara River, he said would help save the flood water for irrigated agriculture development, power generation and water supply for drinking and other domestic uses.
“The project will bring general uplift of the people in the area by creation of employment and business opportunities. These indirect benefits, such as employment opportunities and consequent rise in the living standard of the people, however cannot be quantified in monetary term,” he added.
The direct receipt of the project would be available in shape of irrigation service fee (Abiana) and receipt of cost of sale of energy to consumers. The project would greatly increase the development of fisheries in the area and provide recreation and employment opportunities to the residents of the area, the WAPDA official underlined.