Dams are being built under WB-funded project. WB Technical Mission visits small dam sites in Kohistan and Malir

By Rehan Khan Khushik

Karachi | Hyderabad

The World Bank Technical Mission, while visiting the small dam sites in Kohistan and Malir expressed that the project has achieved significant progress in a short period of time.

The technical mission comprised of Ms. Amparo Samper Hiraldo, Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist, Mr. Juan Soler Cabado Mr. Hendrik Arnold Vernoon, Bilal Khalid, Ms. Hina Lotia, and Aijaz Shaikh.

Ms. Amparo Samper Hiraldo, senior disaster risk management specialist World Bank said that flood detention dams are vital for tackling floods as well as droughts in the arid region of Sindh including Kohistan and Malir.

While attending briefing at flood detention dam near Sari town in Kohistan of Jamshoro district said that due to climate change extreme, weather patterns such as droughts and floods are being witnessed with increased frequency hence adoption to changing climates is crucial to sustainable development.

Mr. Hendrik Arnold Vernoon WB mission member said that the objectives of technical mission are to assess the progress, quality and safety workers at sites of dams.

He said that this model of construction of flood detentions dams is effective in number of ways as the area is water deficient and is division of irrigation of system and the rains are the only source for livelihood and life in the area.

He said that these dams will mitigate the droughts and water for the human population livestock and wildlife would be available through recharging the ground water.

Mr. Juan Soler Cabado, WB mission member observed that construction work at small dams is going smoothly due to a strong supervision mechanism by World Bank. He said that construction of small dams, in Lat basin in Malir and Mole basin in Jamshoro of Kohistan region would also contribute to the reducing the Urban flooding in parts of Karachi.

The Government of Sindh is implementing Sindh Flood Emergency Rehabilitation Project (SFERP) with the support of the World Bank, Aijaz Shaikh WB member said in briefing.

The SFERP aims to rehabilitate infrastructure that was damaged by the 2022 floods and will build Sindh province’s capacity to respond to the impacts of climate change and natural disasters.

The SFERP’s Irrigation component has initiated the construction of a total of eleven flood detention small dams. Seven dams are planned for Mole Basin and four dams for Lat Basin. All streams are non-perennial and water is available mostly during the monsoon season, Aijaz Shaikh said.

While briefing the mission, Shakeel Ahmed, Additional Director, and Aqeel Memon Deputy Director SFERP said that these dams will have a dual purpose of recharging the groundwater as well as would reduce the flood velocity, and there will be fewer losses to the fertile soil erosion, habitat destructions, and public amenities like link roads, electricity poles, and local human settlements. “Due to the project, water will be available for a longer period, which will augment to uplift socio-economic activities” they added.

Nasir Ali Panhwar, Social Safeguard Specialist said the local population in project areas are using subsurface and groundwater for consumption. The groundwater depth varies from 150 to 300 ft. in different parts of the Kohistan region. The distance traveled by women to fetch water varies from area to area for instance, in Kohistan, they travel about two to three kilometers distance per trip. “The dams will help in recharging the groundwater and provide water in the areas where it is crucial for drinking, domestic use, and livestock,” he added.

Earlier Naeem Arif, and Mohammad Nawaz Soomro, representing project implementation consultants briefed the mission about the salient features of the project and the progress achieved so far.

Earlier, World Bank technical mission visited small dams in Malir district.