For the past so many years of its planning and designing, the objectives and goals of Kalabagh dam (KBD) have been shrouded in secrecy, and the federal government's blind following of the project, against the wishes of the three provinces of the federation, has made it the most controversial issue, detrimental to national integrity.
The project is being pleaded as a turning point in the direction of national development, whereas three provinces see it as step towards the diversion of common resources towards the development of one province (Punjab), leaving all the rest to the possible negative impacts perceived from the project.

The matter becomes more complex in the present state of better possible alternatives, having greater development potentials and lesser negative impacts on any of the federating units of Pakistan.

One of the reasons for creating controversy and difference of opinion on the project is attributed to WAPDA's failure to adequately consult the provinces at the project planning and design stage, since the provinces were kept in complete darkness about the design parameters of the dam, till the completion of its detailed design in 1984-85.

To further confuse the issue, statements from responsible officials of the federal government, the government of Punjab and WAPDA first declared Kalabagh dam as only a storage dam to offset the storage loss of Tarbela and Mangla Dams, due to sedimentation. This was followed due to rise in fuel costs and the consequent increased costs of thermal generation by pleading the ultimate necessity of cheap hydel power. And, to still further confuse the issue, the project was declared to have plans for a Left and a Right Bank canal for irrigation purposes.
In the backdrop of all these events, the fate of the affectees has been totally ignored for which, they have every right to ask for the public disclosure of all the relevant facts regarding selection criteria, planning parameters, design guidelines, cost estimates, environmental and socio-economic assessments, government's priorities, and financing mechanism of the planned construction. This becomes specially important in case of projects aimed at harnessing shared water resources, like that of River Indus to ensure an equitable distribution of their benefits among the federating units as well as to know their short- and long-term impacts on the individual as well as collective lives of all concerned.

Brief introduction of Kalabagh dam project
The Kalabagh dam (KBD) is proposed to be located on the River Indus at about 120 miles downstream of Tarbela Dam, 92 miles downstream the confluence of Kabul and Indus Rivers and 16 miles upstream of the existing Jinnah Barrage. The site is a narrow and deep channel extending over 5-mile distance where the river is about 1,300 feet wide.

According to the PC-II of the Project, "KBD was initiated by GOP in 1953, and until 1973, the project was basically considered as a storage project for meeting the irrigation needs, and consequently, rapid increases in the cost of energy have greatly enhanced the priority of KBD as a power project".

The project planning report, circulated in March '84, tried to establish the technical and economic feasibility of the project, and the detailed designs/tender documents, commenced in March '84, and were completed by December 1985.

The feasibility study and documentation have cost the GOP around one billion rupees so far.
According to one of WAPDA's latest briefs on the KBD Project, the dam and its objectives are described in the following words:

"It is expected to be a 260-ft high structure and would create a reservoir 6.1 million acres feet (MAF) of usable storage. The annual generation of energy would amount to about 11,200 GWh, generated by hydro power plant of 2400 MW capacity. This capacity may ultimately be increased to 3600 MW, making KBD one of the largest hydro-generation dams in Asia. The total project cost covering civil and power facilities, as estimated by the consultants at June 1987 prices, will be about US $5.153 billion, including the cost of interest during construction, custom duties, taxes and price contingencies".

(Note: At the present day's construction costs, the dam is expected to cost around US $8 billion)
Another WAPDA release "WAPDA Project in Brief" of January 1986, describes the project as: "Kalabagh Dam is a multipurpose project to be built across the River Indus. Basically, it is a power project which aims at accelerating the tempo of economic development in Pakistan".

Briefly, in WAPDA's terms, the proposed KBD has the following aims:
i. To generate large amounts of low-cost hydro electric power near major load centers, and supply the existing grid for meeting the growing power demand of agriculture, industrial and domestic consumers. In addition, it will increase the energy output of the existing Tarbela scheme by permitting the conjunctive operation of the two reservoirs.

ii. To provide additional storage on the Indus River, and thus reduce the exiting system shortfalls in irrigation requirements.

iii. To provide additional regulation on the River Indus, and thus provide better system control and management for supplying assured, adequate and timely irrigation water for crops.

iv. To compensate for the storage loss due to the silting up of existing reservoirs till such time that their substitutes, (presently planned) are actually available.

v. To eliminate and control the flood peaks in the River Indus so as to minimise flood hazards downstream.
vi. To increase Pakistan's capability to manage its water distribution and power generation system through the conjunctive operation of Tarbela and KBD reservoir.

It is believed by WAPDA that "the conjunctive operation  of Kalabagh dam will enhance Tarbela's generation capacity to 336 million units of energy and 600 MW of peaking power. Which will increase the share of hydel power on the national grid, thus controlling the overall cost of power generation, along with the reduction in thermal generation to result in savings in fuel import".

Distinctive characteristics of KBD project (ref: WAPDA reports)
The project has two spillways on the Right Bank for the disposal of floodwater, having a total maximum discharge capacity of 2 million cusecs.

On the left bank is the powerhouse, which is connected to 12 tunnel conduits, each 36 ft in diameter, with ultimate power generation capacity of 3600 MW.

The KBD reservoir will extend 92 miles up the Indus from the dam site and 36 miles up the Soan River, and about 10 miles up the Kabul River from the Kabul-Indus confluence, at its normal retention level, at which the reservoir area would be 164 sq. miles in total.

The total cultivable affected land under the reservoir, according to WAPDA's figures, will be 35000 acres, out of which 27500 acres falls under the reservoir and will be permanently acquired (24500 acres in Punjab and 3000 acres in NWFP (Pakhtunkhwa); while the floods (of recurrence interval of 1 in 5 years) will temporarily submerge 7500 acres of land (6000 acres in Punjab and 1500 acres in NWFP (Pakhtunkhwa). The land will be taken on easement, under which the title of the land will remain with the owners and it will be available for cultivation during normal season flows.

According to WAPDA, the operation schedule will allow the reservoir to be emptied up to the 890-ft above MSL once every year, and will allow one season cropping in about 14000 acres of land, lying above that level.
According to them, out of the whole-submerged land under the reservoir, the total irrigated land is 3000 acres (2900 acres in Punjab and 100 acres in NWFP (Pakhtunkhwa).

As per the 1991 WAPDA estimates, the total population displaced by the KBD will be 83000 (48500 will be from Punjab and 34500 will be from NWFP (Pakhtunkhwa).

To compensate the dam-displaced people, WAPDA has a plan to offer a minimum of 12.5 acres land as land compensation per land-owning family, for which 74000 acres of irrigated land will be required.
To efficiently clear the deposited sediment from the reservoir, the dam is proposed to have an orifice spillway having its crest level 40-ft below the minimum elevation 835-ft level.
It is believed by WAPDA's experts that the operational rules specifying the retention of reservoir at the minimum level of E1.825-ft above MSL in the month of June and up to 20th July, will enable direct sluicing of the silt-laden early floods, as well as averting the risks of flooding in the upstream areas of the reservoir.
Expected benefits of the KBD project

The KBD has been pleaded by WAPDA as the only possible choice for saving the food and energy-starved nation of Pakistan. In this respect, it has worked out the following beneficial aspects of the project:
Enhancement in the Irrigation Water Supply
The dam is designed to have a left bank canal, off-taking from the left bank high level outlet works of KBD. It will have a capacity of 15,000 cusecs, will be 170 miles long, and will lift about 6.65 MAF water annually from the Kalabagh dam reservoir.

Through this canal, the province of Punjab wishes to irrigate its 371,000 acres of land, on both the banks, of Mianwali, Khushab and Jhelum districts.
To meet the irrigation water requirements, the canal is planned to provide 0.78 MAF in Rabi and 1.23 MAF in Kharif to the new cultivated area, and will discharge the balance 4.64 MAF water into Jhelum at Rasul Barrage to meet shortage of Mangla command, thus fulfilling water shortages in the Mangla command.
Another canal was proposed on the Right Bank of the dam, to irrigate certain areas of NWFP (Pakhtunkhwa), but it has been discarded now, because WAPDA considers it unfeasible
Enhancement in the power-generation capacity
The KBD is expected to have 8 units of 300 MW capacity initially, which will be ultimately increased to 12 units of 300 MW capacity. The power expected to be generated out of the KBD is as under:

        Capacity (MW)   Generation (GHH)
        2400    11413
        2800    13216
        3200    15103
        3600    16990

It is further believed by WAPDA that KBD will generate 336 million units of energy and 600 MW of peaking power by working in conjunction with Tarbela.
(Reference: WAPDA Brief to Senate Sanding Committee on Water and Power, November 1997)
Salient features of KBD project

1       The main reservoir of the dam
        Total storage   7.9 MAF (9,750 million cu m)
        Usable storage  6.1 MAF (7.550 million cu m)
        Dead storage    1.8 MAF (2,200 million cu m)
        Retention level E1.915-ft above MSL (278.9 m)
        Min reservoir level     EI 825-ft about MSL (251.5m)
        Area at Retention Level 105,000 acres; (164 sq.m=425 sq. km

3       Main dam
        Crest elevation E1. 940-ft above MSL (286.5 m)
        Crest width     50 ft (15.2 m)
        Max height      260 ft (79.2)
        Length (overall)        11000 ft 3350 m)

4       Catchment Area of the dam       110,500 sq. miles

5       Fill volume
        Main + closure embankments      25.5 million cu m
        Intake embankments      5.9 million cu m
        Right auxiliary embankments     4.0 million cu m
        Guide bunds, cofferdams etc     10.5 million cu m

6.      Overflow spillway
        Sill level      E1.860-ft above MSL (262.1 m)
        No and size of radial gates     10 No. 50ft (15.2m) w x 55 ft (16.8m)
        PMF discharge   0.98 million cusecs (1.07 million cusecs)

7.      Project cost
        Based on cost at June 1987      US $ 2.65 billion
        Present estimated cost  US $ 8-10 billion

8.      Orifice spillway
        Sill level      785ft (239.3m)SPD
        No and size of radial gates     10No 38 ft (11.6m) wx22ft

9.      Convertible conduits
        No & size of conducts   4-36 ft (11m) diameter
        Average length  940 ft (286.5m)
        Lining  Steel with concrete encasement

10.No & size of gates
        Upstream bulkhead       1-36ft (11m) w x 36 ft (11m)
        Upstream radial 4-36 ft (11 m) w x 36 ft (11m)
        Downstream radial       2-35 ft (10.7m) w x 36 ft (11 m)

11.Power facilities
        No and size of intake gates
        Upstream bulkhead       2-36 ft (11m) w x 36 ft (11 m)
        Upstream radial 8-36 ft (11 m) w x 36 ft (11m)

12.Penstocks
        Size and average length 36 ft (11m) diameter, 850 ft
        Lining  steel with consrete encasement

13.Power station
        Type    Indoor
        No. of units    8 (initial); 12 (ultimate)
        Installed capacity      2400 MW (initial); 3600 MW (ultimate)
        Turbines, design head   Fracis Type, 170 ft (51.8m)
        Generators, nominal/maximum rating

13.1 Irrigation benefits
Increase in future annual irrigation supplies (average) 4.5MAF(5.500 m. cum)

13.2 Energy generation
        At KBD  11413 million kWh
        Extra at Terbela        236 million KWh
        Total   11749 kWh

13.3Power Available (initial eight units)
        Max power       2776 MW
        Dependable power        1463 MW
References:
1.      Rashed A. Saeed, KBD project; a scientific analysis, print associates int'l Islamabad, 1995
2.      Kazi Abrar, KBD  the Sindh Case, Creative Communications, Hyderabad, 1998.
continued. Kalabagh Dam II