LAHORE – In addition to construct a number of mega projects for water and hydropower sectors, Wapda is also building small and medium-sized dams for optimum utilisation of water and land resources available in the country.
These small and medium-sized dams are being constructed on the directions of the President of Pakistan in four provinces and FATA for socio-economic uplift of the people residing in the far-flung areas.
This was stated by Wapda Chairman Shakil Durrani during his visit to Darawat Dam Project being constructed across Nai Baran in Thatta and Jamshoro districts some 70 kilometers west of Hyderabad in Sindh province.
Wapda General Manager (Projects) South, Project Director, Director Small and Medium Dams, and representatives of the consultants and contractors were also present during the visit.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairman said that small and medium-sized dams were vital for prosperity of the remote areas, which were solely dependent on the local water resources and could not be irrigated through Indus Basin Irrigation System.
He expressed the hope that Darawat Dam Project would usher in a new era of development by providing water for irrigated agriculture, mitigating floods, providing job opportunities and reducing poverty in the area.
Earlier, the Chairman visited various components of the project to observe construction work going on there. Expressing satisfaction over the pace of work, he directed the officers concerned to complete the project according to the schedule.
During visit, Chairman was briefed that Darawat Dam Project was being completed with a total cost of about Rs.9.4 billion. It was further told that main dam of the project is likely to be completed by December this year, while completion of the irrigation system was scheduled in June 2013.
The concrete-faced rock-filled dam is 820 feet long and 141 feet height, which would store about 1,20,000 acres feet of water to help irrigate 25,000 acres of land.
The project will create 4500 employment opportunities during construction, operation and its maintenance.
Annual benefits of the project have been estimated more than Rs. one billion. Life of project’s water reservoir will be more than 100 years, it was further told. 
It is pertinent to mention that Federal Government has also announced to provide up to 25 acres of land per person to poor women belonging to the project area. It is to be noted that Wapda has also undertaken Naulong and Nai Gag dam projects under the small, medium dams’ scheme.