Pakistan is Home to some of the most beautiful and ancient man-made structures on the planet, dating back thousands of years before Christ’s birth. The most impressive works of the country are its numerous dams, which give water to drink and irrigate fields, allowing farmers to grow food and feed the people of Pakistan.
Furthermore, Dams in Pakistan perform an essential national security purpose by preventing floods, dry spell, and other natural Disasters that might otherwise devastate this growing country. In this post, we will explore dams in Pakistan, their relevance, and dams currently under development in Pakistan.
List of Pakistan’s Dams
Dams are an important component of Pakistan’s infrastructure. They offer irrigation water, hydroelectric electricity, and flood control. There are Numerous Dams in Pakistan, but the Tarbela Dam, Mangla Dam, and Rawal Dam are among the most important.
These Dams in Pakistan provide crucial services to the people of Pakistan and aid in the efficient operation of the country. Countless people rely on them for a living. Pakistan has to invest more money in dam maintenance and upkeep so that they can continue to provide important services for years to come.
Dam Benefits in Pakistan
Dams are essential in Pakistan for a variety of reasons. They offer crop irrigation water, human and animal drinking water, hydroelectric electricity, and flood control. Dams in Pakistan can also be utilized for recreational purposes such as boating and fishing.
However, large-scale construction in Pakistan has certain negative consequences. For example, the reservoir generated by the dam inundates land, displacing people and affecting wildlife habitats.
Here are some of the most significant Benefits of Dams in Pakistan.
Flood Prevention
Dams serve a vital role in flood control by preventing water from moving downstream. Dams in Pakistan, which is prone to flooding, can help save lives and property. After disastrous floods in India, the Akhori Dam near Attock was erected on the Indus River.
During the flooding season, the dam regulates water flow and generates hydroelectric power. When there are no floods, the dam generates full capacity while storing it for later use when it is most needed.
Dams in Pakistan provide fishing areas by managing the amount of water in rivers and lakes. Reservoir development on several rivers has been criticized because it changes aquatic environments. However, some scientists argue that this is not always the case because different types of rivers have varied ecological balances.
Provision of Water
Dams are an essential component of Pakistan’s water supply system. They offer irrigation, drinking water, and industrial water. Dams in Pakistan produce hydroelectric power, which is a major source of electricity in the country. These are crucial to the country’s economic prosperity for several reasons.
These are also play a significant role in flood management by regulating the flow of water downstream. The Tarbela Dam, for example, protects Islamabad and Rawalpindi from flooding. This dam is fed by the Indus River, which protects those two cities.
Because to sedimentation and silt buildup in the reservoir, the Tarbela Dam is currently experiencing certain issues. As more rivers dry up due to climate change, more people will rely on the Tarbela Dam as their primary water source.
Generation of Electricity
In Pakistan, dams are a significant source of electricity generating. The Tarbela Dam alone produces 3,478 megawatts of electricity, enough to power almost two million homes! This not only helps meet the country’s ever-increasing demand for energy, but it also gives the economy a much-needed boost.
Experts expect that hydropower’s contribution to Pakistan’s GDP would increase by 2% every year till 2030. Furthermore, because dams provide flood control and drought protection, they assist cut expenditures in other sectors of society such as agriculture and health care.
System of Navigation
Dams are an important component of Pakistan’s infrastructure. They offer irrigation, drinking water, and industrial water. They also generate hydroelectric power and aid in river flow regulation. The Indus River is a big river that is mostly controlled by dams.
The Tarbela Dam, located near Islamabad on the Indus River, produces much of the country’s electricity. More dams are planned to take use of the country’s enormous water resources, but some individuals are concerned about how these dams would affect towns downstream.
Agriculture, irrigation, and livestock production
Pakistan is an agricultural country, and dams are essential for irrigation and agriculture. Dam construction in Pakistan also benefits livestock development. Dams are built in Pakistan to store water for irrigation, domestic and industrial purposes.
The major goal of these structures is to manage floods by holding back floodwaters during the monsoon season and gradually releasing them during the dry season. There are two types of dams: run-of-the-river dams, which store solely river water, and storage dams, which store both river and rainwater.
Dams are being built in Pakistan.
Pakistan has many rivers, and dams serve a vital role in controlling water flow. Dams provide numerous benefits, including irrigation for crops, hydroelectric power generation, and flood mitigation.
Several dams are now under development in Pakistan, which will give even more benefits to the country once completed. The Diamer-Bhasha Dam on the Indus River is the most noteworthy project. In 1998, Pakistan’s then-Prime Minister laid the groundwork.
