india buidling three more small dams on the Indus River

India has started building three more small dams on the Indus River – the lifeline of Pakistan’s agriculture – and according to reports, substantial excavation and concreting work has already been completed.

These include 45MW “Nimoo Bazgo” project at village Alchi, 70Km from Leh, 130MW “Dumkhar” project located 128km on Leh-Khalsi Batalik road and “Chutak” on River Suru – a major tributary of the Indus River – in Kargil district.

The latest reports suggest that powerhouse of Nimoo Bazgo project is complete and 48 per cent concreting of 57-metre dam up to crest level has also been completed. The Chutak project is scheduled to be completed as early as 2011.

Though these dams also pose a threat of flash floods in Northern Area because of the ratio of Indian dam failures in such regions – so far, nine of them have collapsed – but the bigger question i.e. when India is constructing dams on every possible site, why Pakistan policy makers are silent over the issue?