Muhammad Mudassar

Flash floods after heavy spells of monsoon rains in different parts of Pakistan have inflicted huge economic losses.

The government estimates show a minimum damage of around $10 billion due to floods.

Federal Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir Khan said in a press briefing that two power distribution companies (Discos) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province has suffered losses worth Rs460 million due to the recent floods.

Tribal Electric Supply Compa­ny (Tesco) faces a loss of Rs60 million, and Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) faces Rs400 million damage to its infrastructure.

Around 126 feeders were also shut down due to flooding in KP, and 121 of them were reopened after repair, while five still remain closed.

Mohmand Dam, which is under construction, has also been affected. This dam will produce 800 megawatts of electricity upon completion. This project will make water available for irrigation and help in saving (the region) from floods.

Mohmand Dam is being constructed on the Swat River in the Mohmand tribal district of KP. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2026. Damage caused to the basic infrastructure of the dam and tunnels is a matter of great concern.

Earlier, Chairman of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Lt Gen (Retd) Sajjad Ghani apprised the federal minister about the grim water situation in Pakistan. He said Pakistan has no other option, but to build more dams to improve water situation in the country.

He also informed the minister about the adverse impact of floods on Dasu Hydropower Project construction sites and Mohmand Dam.

The Wapda chairman said every effort is being made to resume construction activities on these projects in the shortest possible time by devising an effective strategy.

Wapda is constructing 10 projects in the water and hydropower sectors with a gross water storage capacity of 11.7 MAF, and a power generation capacity of 11,268MW.

According to official data, the number of flood-affected districts now stands at 110, including 34 in Balochistan province, 33 in KP, 16 in Sindh province, and the rest in Punjab province, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir.

Federal Minister for Water Resources Khursheed Shah in a statement also underlined the significance of constructing dams and hydropower projects. He said this is our collective responsibility to move forward in harnessing water resources in the country.

“This will enable us to store water for irrigation, control floods, and generate low-cost and environment-friendly hydel electricity,” he stated.

Reviewing the post-flood situation, the minister expressed satisfaction over the contingency plans of Wapda to mitigate possible delays in the completion of the projects. He assured that the Ministry of Water Resources would fully support Wapda in this regard.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk