| Pakistan Vision 2025

Yugo Dam

Some Detail of The Project
Location of-Yugo Dam
Country	Pakistan
Location	Gilgit-Baltistan
Coordinates	35°31′0″N 73°47′31″E / 35.516667°N 73.79194°E / 35.516667; 73.79194Coordinates: 35°31′0″N 73°47′31″E / 35.516667°N 73.79194°E / 35.516667; 73.79194
Status	Construction of diversion tunnels and support facilities
Construction began	18 October 2011
Construction cost	$11.19 billion (2011 est.)
Owner(s)	WAPDA
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Roller-compacted concrete
Height	272 m (892 ft)
Impounds	Shyok River
Reservoir
Capacity	10,000,000,000 m³ (8,107,132 acre·ft)
Active capacity	7,900,000,000 m³ (6,404,634 acre·ft)
Power station
Turbines	12 x 375 MW
Installed capacity	4,500 MW
Annual generation	19,028 GWh (est.)

SLAMABAD: The 19,028 GWh Yugo dam project and about two dozen other infrastructure and social sector schemes worth Rs977 billion were approved on Thursday.The Rs894.25 billion dam project in the Northern Areas, approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec), will have a foreign funding component of Rs312.94 billion.

Finance Minister chaired the meeting. The Minister for Information and Broadcasting, and the Minister for Water and Power told journalists that the construction of the dam on the Shyok, some 90kms from Skardu, would begin by October this year and be completed in eight to 10 years.Its payback period will be 30 years. They termed it a lifeline project for the country.

‘This is the biggest project ever approved in the history of Pakistan. We spent 33 years in discussions while the country’s biggest dam’s capacity was declining because of sedimentation,’ Mr Gilani said.

‘We have begun installing major hydropower projects to overcome the energy crisis.’

He said the 272-metre high concrete dam would have a storage capacity of 6.4 million acre-feet and it would irrigate more than 33 million acres. It would also help reduce sedimentation in Tarbela Dam, the minister said.

In reply to a question, he said the bidding process would be transparent. He said the National Highway Authority would start widening roads for transporting equipment and installation work.

The information minister said people to be affected by the project would be compensated before the start of the work.

He said Rs15 billion had been allocated in the budget for land acquisition and payment of compensation.

Mr Gilani praised people of the region for their cooperation and sacrifices during the process of approval of the project.

‘Not a single voice was raised from the people of the Northern Areas against this project and I assure them that their genuine demands regarding compensation and settlement will be addressed on a priority basis.’

He said preference would be given to local people for employment in the project. The Prime minister said royalty would be paid in accordance with the Constitution. He said work on land acquisition would begin within three months.

In reply to a question, he said generating funds for the project would not pose a problem because international financial institutions had expressed their interest in financing it. He said all stakeholders had been consulted before the project’s approval.

Referring to surveys by seismologists, he said the dam would be 35kms away from a faultline and it would be ‘99.9 per cent safe’.

He said the committee had also approved the Duber Khwar hydropower project, Khan Khawar project and the 16MW Naltar-III and 14MW Naltar-V projects.

The minister for water and power said a committee had been constituted to resolve out of court the issue of net hydel power profit of the NWFP.

He said the country had 185 billion tons of coal reserves and the World Bank had approved funds for their technical study. He said Rs2.525 billion had been allocated for the feasibility study.

The information minister said Ecnec considered 44 projects worth Rs1,200 billion, but approved 24 of them. The remaining 20 projects, estimated to cost Rs223 billion, will be taken up at the next meeting.

He said the provinces had been asked to expedite implementation of projects.

Ecnec also approved a Rs3.5 billion project for poverty reduction through small holders of livestock and diary and a Rs8.1 billion project in the education sector.

It approved setting up of a 300-bed maternal and child health institute in the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto district at a cost of Rs1.2 billion.

The committee approved a Rs6.3 billion land record management and information system for Punjab and asked other provinces computerise their land records.

The minister said HIV/Aids prevention projects were also approved for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Islamabad, Punjab and Sindh. Yugo Dam will be constructed on the River Shyok in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. Its foundation stone will be laid by Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani of Pakistan on 18 October 2012. Upon completion, Yugo Dam would be the highest RCC dam in the world. The dam site is situated near a place called "Yugo" in Gilgit-Baltistan's Ghanche District, hence the name. Upon completion, Yugo Dam would (i) produce 4,500 megawatts of electricity through environmentally-clean hydropower generation; (ii) store an extra 8,500,000 acre feet (10.5 km³) of water for Pakistan that would be used for irrigation and drinking; (iii) extend the life of Tarbela Dam located downstream by 35 years; and (iv) control flood damage by the River Indus downstream during high floods. It will have a height of 272 meters spillway with fourteen (14) gates each 11.5 m x 16.24 m. The gross capacity of the reservoir will be 8,100,000 acre feet (10.0 km³), with a live storage of 6,400,000 acre feet (7.9 km³). Two (2) underground power houses are being proposed, one on each side of the main dam having six (6) turbines on each side with total installed capacity 4500 MW. The estimated cost of the project, in 2011, was US $11.19 billion with an estimated completion time of 12 years.

Construction

The President of Pakistan Gen. Pervez Musharraf during his national address on 17 January 2006 announced the decision of Government to construct 5 multi-purpose storages in the country during next 10-12 years. Yugo Dam Project will be undertaken in the first phase. On 11 November 2008, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) gave the go-ahead to the Yugo Dam project. Pakistan's Council of Common Interests (CCI), a constitutional body representing all of Pakistan's provinces, also approved the construction of the Dam. The Dam's foundation stone will be laid by Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani of Pakistan on 18 October 2012.

The project

The project is located on Indus River, about 315 km upstream of Tarbela Dam, 165 km downstream of the Northern Area District Ghanche and 90 km downstream of Skardu in a village known as Yugo.

Need for the project

Agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy. Pakistan today is among one of the World’s fastest growing population, estimated at around 170 million at the start of 2009. Due to lack of large river regulation capability through sizeable storages, the country is already facing serious shortages in food grains. Given the present trend, Pakistan could soon become one of the food deficit countries in the near future. Therefore, there is a dire need to build storages for augmenting agriculture production. Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma reservoirs have already lost about 5,000,000 acre feet (6.2 km³) due to sedimentation. It is estimated that by the year 2012, this loss would increase to 6,000,000 acre feet (7.4 km³), almost equal to the original combined capacity of Mangla and Chashma reservoirs. Due to the complete stoppage of any sizable multi-purpose storage development after commissioning of Tarbela Dam in 1976, sustainability of existing irrigated agriculture of Pakistan is in serious jeopardy. The construction of the Yugo Dam is a step being taken to prevent the emergence of this scenario. The present demand of electricity in country is above 17,000 MW, which is estimated to cross 22,000 MW by the year 2010. A large-scale injection of power thus becomes inevitable. Hydropower will provide the required electricity at affordable price. Contribution of 4500 MW power from Yugo Dam will go a long way in alleviating this situation.

Project benefits

• Production of 4,500 megawatts of electricity through environmentally-clean hydropower generation • Storage of an extra 8,500,000 acre feet (10.5 km³) of water for Pakistan that would be used for irrigation and drinking • Extend the life of Tarbela Dam located downstream by 35 years • Control flood damage by the River Indus downstream during high floods • Availability of about 6,400,000 acre feet (7.9 km³) annual surface face water storage for supplementing irrigation supplies during low flow periods • Harnessing of renewable source of clean and cheap energy through installed capacity of 4500 MW • Reduction of dependence on environmentally-damaging thermal power, thus saving foreign exchange • Short and long term employment opportunities, particularly to locals, during the construction (15,000) and operation phase • Creation of massive infrastructure leading to overall socio-economic uplift of the area and standard of living of people.

Environmental Impact & Resettlement

Environmental Impact: • Villages affected: 31 • Houses affected: 4,100 • Population affected: 35,000 • Agricultural land submerged: 1,500 acres (6.1 km²) • Area under reservoir: 25,000 acres (100 km²) Resettlement: • Proposed new settlements: 9 model villages • Population resettled: 8,000 • New infrastructure, roads, clean water supply schemes, schools, health centres, electricity supply, etc. • Development of new tourism industry in area around reservoir (including hotels, restaurants, water sports, etc.) • Development of hitherto non-existent fresh-water fishing industry based on newly-created reservoir

Salient Features

• LOCATION: The Dam will be located on the Shyok in Gilgit-Baltistan, about 315 km upstream of Tarbela Dam, 165 km downstream of the of Skardu, the capital of baltistan and 90 km downstream of Skardu. (Latitude: 35°31'0.64"N Longitude: 73°47'31.98"E) • MAIN DAM Maximum Height: 272 m Type Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) • DIVERSION SYSTEM 2 No. Diversion tunnels 1 No. Diversion canal Upstream and Downstream Cofferdams • MAIN SPILLWAY No. of gates 9 Size of gate 16.5 Χ 15.0 m • RESERVOIR LEVEL 1160 m Gross capacity 7,300,000 acre feet (9.0 km³) Live capacity 6,400,000 acre feet (7.9 km³) Min. operation level El. 1060 m • OUTLETS Intermediate level 8 Low level 4 • POWERHOUSE(S) 2 Total installed capacity 4500 MW Location and type Toe of the Dam (one each on the right and left side) No. of units 8, each of 560 MW Average generation 16,500 Gwh/year • ESTIMATED COST (YEAR 2011) US $13 Billion

Total cost & capacity of the project

The cost of the Yugo dam is $12.6 billion (November,2008) and it will have a storage capacity of 8,100,000 acre feet (10.0 km³). However, it will have a power generation capacity of 4,500 megawatts. An amount of Rs 27.824 billion is required for the acquisition of land and resettlement of the people to be affected in the wake of the construction of the dam. Under the proposed project, Rs 10.76 billion will be spent for the acquisition of agriculture-barren land, tree and nurseries and Rs 1.638 billion to be utilised for properties & infrastructure, Rs 8.8 billion for establishment of nine model villages, Rs 62.119 million for pay & allowances for administrative arrangements, and Rs.17.7 million for contingent administrative expenses. The project also includes an escalation cost of Rs 2.234 billion at the rate of 6 per cent per year for five years and interest of Rs 4.309 billion during the implementation at the rate of 9 per cent. Detailed drawings of the dam were completed by March 2008 and the ground-breaking ceremony is expected to take place in May 2011.^[1]

References

^ Ashraf, Hussain Ahmad (11 April 2011). "Kick starting Yugo project". InpaperMagzine. http://www.dawn.com/2011/04/11/kick-starting-Yugo-projects.html. Retrieved 22 April 2011.