PTI MPA Pushes for Early Resumption of Shakai Dam Work, Warns Against Any Further Delay

MPA Ajab Gul Meets DG, Contractor for Briefing on Long-Stalled Game-Changing Project

Hamid Khan Wazir

WANA: In a swift and much-needed step to address the long-standing concerns of the people of the scenic Shakai Valley, Ajab Gul Wazir, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA from South Waziristan Lower, held an important meeting with the Director General (DG) of Small Dams (Merged Areas) and the concerned contractor to obtain a comprehensive briefing on the long-delayed Shakai Small Dam project.

The construction of the game-changing Shakai Dam in Tehsil Shakai, South Waziristan, was launched a decade ago with great fanfare at an estimated cost of Rs 676.143 million. However, despite repeated delays for various reasons, the concerned authorities have shown little urgency in addressing the issue.

However, this time, PTI MPA expressed optimism that work on the long-stalled Shakai Dam would resume soon, stressing that any further delay in this vital project would not be tolerated under any circumstances, raising hopes that the much-delayed and crucial project may finally see the light of day.  

The meeting was convened following a vigorous advocacy campaign by the Shakai Youth Welfare Organization (SYWO), highlighting the community's growing concern over the project's stagnation.

The MPA made it unequivocally clear that the establishment of dams and resolution of water issues in Lower South Waziristan remain among his top priorities. “Water is the most precious asset for our land, our fields, and the prosperity of our people,” he stated.

He recalled that soon after being elected, he placed special focus on reviving stalled dam projects across the district, particularly the Shakai Dam, which had remained suspended for a prolonged period with funds frozen. PTI MPA recalled that through persistent efforts, the provincial government not only released the previously frozen funds but that the KP Cabinet has doubled the financial allocation to ensure the project meets modern standards, which is a lifeline for the region.

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Expressing serious displeasure over the recent halt in work, the MPA questioned the officials and contractor in clear terms pertaining to the reasons behind the recent pause. During the briefing, the DG Small Dams and the contractor attributed the temporary suspension of work to recent snowfall and continuous rains, assuring that construction activities would resume as soon as weather conditions improve.

Ajab Gul Wazir emphasized that the Shakai Dam is a priority project for the people of the area and warned that any further delay, under any circumstances, will not be tolerated.

SYWO expresses gratitude to PTI MPA for taking immediate notice

The Shakai Youth Welfare Organization (SYWO) welcomed this important development and expressed gratitude to the MPA for taking immediate notice of the concerns raised by local youth through a social media campaign. The organization also appreciated the active role of the youth whose voices prompted swift action from the authorities.

SYWO reaffirmed that it will remain in close contact with the concerned departments until practical work on the dam resumes on the ground.

The people of the area demanded that the government not only ensure the dam’s completion without any further delay but also adhere strictly to the originally approved design, as there is widespread concern that the project has been significantly redesigned in a way that could substantially reduce its effectiveness.

It is pertinent ton mention here that the long-neglected Shakai, with a population of around 70,000, is one of the most picturesque valleys in the country, located some 33 km north of Wana, headquarter of district Lower South Waziristan. People from all over the country visit the beautiful hill resorts especially on Eid festivals to immerse themselves in mountains covered with lush green trees, cold atmosphere, fresh air, and most importantly, clouds on the roads hugging you full of happiness.

The Fata Development Authority (FDA) had proposed the federal government the launch of the Shakai small dam project to help alleviate poverty in an area where farmers mainly depend on rainfall.

Hydrological studies show that an annual inflow of 1,827 acre-feet of water is available in the main Shakai stream to meet the irrigation requirement of about 1,000 acres of barren land.

It was reported that the first-ever large-scale development project in the area named ‘Shakai Dam’ would be funded by the federal government through the FATA Secretariat and the life span of the project was estimated to be 57 years.

However, in the aftermath of the merger of the FATA into KP, now it is the responsibility of the KP government and people of the area attached high hopes that the provincial government would pay special attention to complete the project timely but contrary to it the authorities concerned put the project in a cold oven.

The project, with a storage capacity of 1,193 AF of water, which would be irrigated 900 acres of agricultural land on the left bank of the main Shakai stream. Only 462 acres of land is currently under cultivation, which is mainly dependent on the rain.

The dam would have a storage tank of about 0.096 million gallons to supply drinking water to 3,200 people, where no drinking water supply exists and people have to bring water from distant places.

Moreover, the construction of Shakai Dam would ensure the purposeful and effective use of the available water, which would help reduce the intensity of floods by storing water, besides irrigating agricultural land, facilitating socio-economic uplift of the area by alleviating poverty in the area, if it was completed as per the already approved design, which was changed and redesigned to reduce its cost.

The feasibility study for the scheme was carried out by M/S Techno-Consult International, in association with M/S Electra Consultants, Peshawar, and EASE-Pak Consultants, Lahore, Pakistan.

According to the survey, an area of about 1,000 acres lies barren for want of irrigation water, so the area, if supplied with water for irrigation may produce crops sufficient to cater to the needs of the whole area.

The site proposed for the dam is the best one to utilize the flood water for irrigation purposes. The geology of the area is quite favorable and suitable for the construction of the earth’s core rock fill dam. A large volume of the river bed is available at the project site to facilitate the construction of an earth-filled embankment.