Komail Zaidi’s above titled letter asks the government to build reservoirs in different places. A large reservoir requires a large dam to be built in the river, and large dams can be built only in mountain valleys.
Bhasha dam on the Indus will be built in a 900 feet deep valley, at Tarbela the valley is 400 feet deep, at Kalabagh it is 260 feet, and only 37 feet at Chashma, below which no dam can be built.
On Jhelum river only Mangla dam could be built other than a hydro power project at Neelum Jhelum. No dam can be built on Chenab river, other than just one reservoir of 1.00 maf capacity. Soan valley is another place where a large dam cum reservoir can be built
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It will be seen that sites for large reservoirs are very limited and we have to utilise every available site, not only to overcome the current shortages but also to irrigate the 22 million acres lying barren, to be able to feed the ever growing population which has increased from 8 crore to 20 crore since Tarbela dam increased supplies 40 years ago.
Engr Khurshid Anwer
Lahore
