In an another attempt to affect Pakistan’s water interests, India has started preparations to construct the Pakal Dul Hydropower Dam with a capacity to generate 1,500MWs of electricity on Pakistan’s Chenab River, in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty, a private television channel reported on Wednesday. As per details, the dam would be constructed on River Chenab in Kishtwar area of Occupied Kashmir and tender has also been issued for the dam construction.
The project would have a reservoir capacity of 0.108 million acre feet (MAF), dead storage capacity of 0.014 MAF, full reservoir level of 1,700 metres and a dead storage level of 1,620 metres. The concrete-face, rock-filled dam would have a height of 1,708m and a maximum water level of 1,703m. It will have a surface spillway with crest level of 1,684m with two bays and two tunnels.
According to the design, the tunnel-type spillway will have a dual purpose: to pass floods and sediment management. It will have two head race tunnels of 10,000m each and four tail race tunnels of 125m each. According to experts, the construction of dam would have severe impact on flow of River Chenab. On the other hand, the Indus Water Commissioner seems unmoved over this development and no objection has been raised against the project so far.
