LAHORE - The Mangla Dam Raising Project will remain a useless exercise as water level failed to increase even in flood season. Imagine, despite recent flooding the water level in the reservior is still below 10 ft of maximum conservation mark. The targete to raise conservation level was 1232 ft besides 150 MW of electricity generating after spending Rs 102 billion. Talking to The Nation, sources concernd termed the situation most unfortunate as the scenario would further deteriorate due to Indian project on Kishan Ganga at the Neelum River following the further decrease of Jehlum River inflows by 28 percent. They said that India was given free hand in flouting Indus Basin Treaty, which has also reduced inflows of the Poonch and Kanshi Rivers, the two major tributories of River Jehlum would further reduce the inflows. They said that at the time of the project proposal consideration, the same was vehemently opposed by expert hydrologists on the plea that Mangla hydrographs and river Jehulm infows into Mangla do not justify possibilities of additional storage beyond its present maximum conservation level of 1202 ft above mean sea level. However, their opinion was bulldozed by the then Chairman WAPDA who considered himself an expert on Mangla Dam due to remaining as Corps Commander Mangla. In 2003, WAPDA with a view to enhance the Mangla water storage, increased power outputs as well as to compensate the storage lost due to sedimentation, obtained GOP approval for raising the dam by 30 ft (9 m). The estimated increase in the reservoir capacity was 2.88 maf and provision of an additional 643 MW of power. It was also estimted that the increase in dam height would displace 40,000 people currently living near the reservoir. The engineering plan of of Mangla Dam Raising Project (MDRP) was completed in Feburay 2004 and contract was awarded to a joint venture of one Chinese and five Pakistani contractors. The construction work of MDRP started on June 20, 2004 and was scheduled to end in 39 months. The total project cost of PKR 62.5 billion initially estimated has untill now icreased to some 102.0 billion though the construction work is yet to be completed. Mangla Dam impounding started in 1967 and untill 2007 (a period of 30 years) the maximum conservation level of 1202 has been attained only 60 percent of time. Even during the years the maximum conservation level was attained, it did not sustain even for one 10-daily period due to fast dwindling Jehlum River inflows and pressing downstream irrigation requirments.