Akra Kaur Dam
Akra Kaur Dam | |
---|---|
Country | Pakistan |
Location | Gwadar District, Balochistan |
Coordinates | 25°21′29″N 62°16′44″E / 25.35806°N 62.27889°E |
Status | Operational |
Opening date | 1995 |
Construction cost | $24 million |
Owner(s) | Government of Balochistan |
Akra Kaur Dam, sometimes also referred to as Ankara Kaur Dam, is located near Gawadar in Balochistan, Pakistan. The dam was constructed in 1995 [1] at a cost of $24 million [2] to supply water to Gawadar and adjoining villages. It is the sole source of water supply to residents of the Gwadar District area.[3] The dam contains a volume of water equal to 17,025 acre-feet, (21,000 megalitres), to provide 1.62 million gallons daily.[4]
The dam's dead storage level is 27 metres, below which is 5,270 acre-feet of water, and its live storage level maximum is 32 metres. As of February 2018, it has silted up to 26.3 metres, and the government is investigating a de-silting operation.[4]
In 2005, torrential rain in the area caused an overflow from the dam, inundating a number of villages and claiming at least 20 lives.[5] In July 2012, reports emerged that the dam had dried up completely due to large-scale siltation. This has posed serious water supply challenges to local residents, including acute shortage of drinking water.[6][7][8]
In May 2017, Akra Dam ran dry. During that time, Gwadar city's sole water supply was brought from Mirani Dam via tanker truck, at a cost of Rs.220 million per month for 1.3-1.8 million gallons a day. The water was "drinkable but unsafe". A promised water treatment system was not organised. Truck drivers periodically struck due to long delayed wages, interupting supply.[4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Water Supply Scheme Gwadar Town". Government of Balochistan. Archived from the original on 21 March 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
- ^ "Dams & Barrages". NESPAK. Archived from the original on 21 August 2003. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
- ^ "Gwadar, adjoining towns face severe water shortage". The News International. 28 June 2012. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
- ^ a b c "Report of the Senate Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Reforms on Starred Question No. 45 Asked by Senator Muhammad Talha Mehmood in the Senate on 2nd November 2017" (PDF). Senate of Pakistan. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ "Flood havoc in Gwadar after dam overflow". Dawn News. 3 March 2005. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
- ^ "Ankara Kaur Dam: Gwadar's water supply tapers off to a trickle". Express Tribune. 7 July 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
- ^ Gwadar risks becoming ghost town due to water shortage
- ^ "Main source of drinking water to dry up in coming days: Mass migration of people feared from Gwadar". Dawn. 2 July 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012.