Dr Hassan Farooq Mashwani
Terbela Dam has been constructed over the Indus, in Haripur District of Hazara division. According to the official statistics of Terbela Dam Project; it is the world’s largest earth fill-type and the second largestreservoir capacity that is around 11.62 million acre-feet or 14.3 billion cubic meters. The Construction of Terbela dam was initiated in 1968 and its preliminary operational activities began in 1978, while this mega project of water and power was fully functional by 1984, having a total cost of onlyaround US $1.5 billion.
The project was so cost effective and efficient that allits loans and credits were completely paid well before its full operationalization, by last quarter of 1981.The presently under construction Dasu and Diamer-Bhashadams over the Indus are expected to further rise the overall life and operational capacity of the Terbela dam for decades and hence the water storage capacityof the country too.
The Dam has also served the country and her people in managing the unregulated flows of the Indus River, particularly in the monsoon floods. It has helped ion overcoming the deficiency of water during the critical growing season of Rabi in addition to enhancing the storage capacity of reservoirs to conserve surplus flows and increased the generation of hydroelectric power.The overall catchment area of the Terbela Dam is up to around 170,000 km2. The Terbela hydroelectric power plant has a total installed capacity of 3,478 Mega Watts (around 48.4 percent of the total hydroelectric power generation of Pakistan) and one of the largest power producing units in the country out of a total 35,975MW (Pakistan’s power generation capacity increases to 35,975MW, 12 Jun 2020).
All these statistics identify that the Terbela Dam contributes billions of rupees as revenue every year in terms of electricity price and the stored water that is used for irrigation throughout the country for the whole year.
Moreover, the Ghazi-Barotha Hydropower project is also one of the larger and highly significant ventures of the hydro electricity generation in the country, which adds1450 MW into the national grid. This scheme starts from the Ghazi Tehsil of Hazara downstream Terbela Dam. Though the power house lies in Attock district of the Punjab, but the barrage and a significant part of the cannel are in Hazara Division. Khanpur Dam is yet another water reservoirin District Haripur. The Dam is constructed on the River Haronear Potowar Plateau, and about 50 kilo meters north of the capital, Islamabad(Umm e Swaiba, 2021). Khanpur Dam forms Khanpur Lake, a reservoir that supplies fresh drinking water to the capital Islamabad and Rawalpindi city. The project also helps in providing irrigation water to various agricultural and industrial initiatives in its surrounding. According to the official data, the construction of Khanpur Dam was finishedby 1983 at a cost of rupees around 1,385 million with a storage capacity of around 80,000 acre feet (99 million m3) of water.
Another highly significant project in Hazara Division is the newly launched Dasu hydropower project (DHP), whichis a 4320Mega Watts hydroelectric power producing unit on the famous Indus River just a few km upstream of Dasu Townin Hazara Division.The DHP is around 75 kilometers downstream of the under construction DiamerBasha Dam (DBD), 240kilometers upstream of the Terbela Dam, and less than 350 kilometers from the capital Islamabad. The DHP is a run-of-the-river hydropower project of the WAPDA and a significant chapter of Vision 2025 and the Power Policy 2013 of the then Government of Pakistan.
The construction work has already started in 2017 and phase one is scheduled to be operational by 2023. Itsreservoir is expected to be around 74kmlong and 365meter wide, with a water storage capacity of 1,410 million meter³(DHP-WAPDA, ND).For the initial construction works of residence and infrastructure of DHP, the China Gansu International Corporation for Economic and Technical Cooperation (CGICOP) has awarded the US$36million (Approximately Rs 5 billion) contract; whereas the 132 Kilo Volt transmission line is being constructed by the famous Chinese firm, Power China. The First Phase of the DHP is estimated to require an investment of US$4.3billion. The main contractor of the DHP is M/S China Gezhouba Group Company.
Suki Kinari Hydropower Project is another significant runoftheriver type hydroelectric power project that is under-constructionon the KunharRiver in the renowned Kaghan valley of District Mansehra. The SKHP is a CPEC project, having an installed generation capacity of about 870 MW. This project is sponsored by the China state owned power generation company Gezhouba Group and the debt for the project is being provided by Export Import Bank of China and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. The SKHPP is being built as part of the “Early Harvest” projects of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor with an estimated cost of around US$ 2 Billion, which is estimated to be completed by 2023.Balakot Hydropower Development Project is another hydroelectric power generation scheme, which is in the pipeline.
The Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO) aims to build a 300 MW runofriver type of hydropower plant at Balakot, in Mansehra District of Hazara region in KPK(PAK: Balakot Hydropower Development Project, 2019).The Project is usually called asthe Balakot Hydropower Development Project (BHDP) or the Balakot Hydropower Project (BAHPP) that is planned to be constructed on the Kunhar River less than 20kilometers upstream of theBalakot town in Mansehra.Under its Hydropower Investment Development Program (HIDP), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is evaluating the project for financing.These comprehensive statistics regarding the power construction and water management undoubtedly establish the fact that the Hazara region has an exceedingly significant position in the KPK province and the overall country. All these projects are extremely efficient, environment friendly, highly cost effective and enormously desirable sources of energy. In addition, all these projects are exceedingly useful for employment, power generation,water storage and floods regulation mechanismsof Pakistan.
Tourism Potential in Hazara Division:
Traveling and tourism have acquired the status of one of the major industries in the advanced and developing world. Various nations around the world earn billions of dollars every year from this sector. Pakistan has a tremendous potential of tourism for its uniquely placed cultural, historical, religious andmountainous resorts throughout the country. Hazara Division, being placed at the crossroad amid South Asia, Central Asia and China, also has a marvelous potential of attracting hundreds of thousandsof national and international tourists in different seasons every year.
These resorts provide one of the major sources of income in the Hazara region, where thousands of natives find their jobs in transportation, hoteling and other associated fields. The main city of Hazara Divisionis Abbottabad, just 135 km from the capital Islamabad,is also called as “the City of Pines”due to abundance of pine trees in the stunning Abbottabad valley. It offers highly magical scenes, particularly in the snow fall seasons in December and January or foggy weather during heavy rainfalls in the monsoon season from July to September. The worth scene areas or tourists’ attractive resorts in district Abbottabad are huge but following are the few very famous among them.
Shimla Peak or Shimla Hill is one of the highly famous picnic spots for tourists, which is just 10 km from the Abbottabad city. At the local level the resort is known as “Shimla Pahari” that is surrounded by lush green pine trees. There are numerous precipitous and adventurous hiking tracks towards Shimla peak, which is also surrounded by several luxurious huts, hotels and four star restaurants, ready to welcome the tourists travelling along with their families. The resort also contains a highly beautiful park for the young kids and families where they can enjoy hiking, tracking and different types of rides.Shimla Hills are rightly titled as the paradise on Earth.
NathiaGali is also another extremely fascinating hill station in Abbottabad District.
The area is full of numerous walnuts, pine, maple and oak trees, where heavy snowfall in the winter season is the main attraction for tourists. The surrounding areas of Nathia Gali like the Miranjani Top – a well-known place for hiking – Kalabagh, the Nathia Gali waterfall and Dungagali along with mountains, lush green meadows, beautiful cottages, and lovely cherry blossom trees, where tourists enjoy hiking, horse riding, skiing and cliff climbing and much more both in winters and summers. This area is also rich in animals and birds that are fascinating for the young tourists.Another tourist spot in the region is Miranjani Top that is the highest mountain peak in district Abbottabad.
The top is an amazing attraction for hikers. Miranjani is ranked at ninth highest mountain in the world and it is just 90 km awayfrom Islamabad with a drive of not more than three hours from the capital and two from Abbottabad. Thandiani is also a very famous tourist resort that is highly frosty and fogy hill station located in Abbottabad. Thandiani is an amazing place for the passionate lovers of natural beauty, which is full of luxurious restaurants and camping resorts for tourists. There are several hiking tracks near Thandiani that is located less than 40 km from Abbottabad and 150 km from Islamabad. Thandiani is equally attractive for tourist in icy winters and pleasant summers.
Mushkpuri Top is the second highest mountain peak of Abbottabad that is full of greenery and freshness. Mushkpuri Top looks extremely marvelous in snowy season of winter and famous for hiking in both summers and winters. It is considered as a heavenly spot for travelers, hikers and natural beauty lovers. The Mushkpuri top is 280 km away from Islamabad. There are other highly fascinating spots in Hazara Division like the Saiful Muluk Lake, Kaghan & Naran Valleys, Lalazar Valley, Shogran, Babusar Pass and others that are located in Mansehra district.
These tourists’ heavens attract thousands of national and international tourists throughout the year.Kaghan and NaranValleys are extremely beautiful spots and are famous among the nature lovers who visit these resorts from all over the country and abroad in both winters and summers. Some of the famous trekking routes in the region include RattiGali, DoodhiPatsar, SaralGali, Noori Pass, AansooJheel, KuchGali, Siran Col and many others.
Kaghan Valley The Abode of Spirits SaifulMuluk Lake
The SaifulMuluk Lake is also believed to be a heavenly place. It is one of the highest lakes in Pakistan. In winter season the snow-covered mountains of Saiful Muluk looks extremely charming. The Saiful Muluk Lake is 290 km from Islamabad, and it is mainly visited by jeeps and tourists enjoy cycling, boating, camping and horse riding in the area.The Lalazar Valley also known as the “Land of flowers” is famous for camping. The roads to Lalazar Valley are very difficult but they are adventurous. This resort is 281 km from Islamabad and it is the second famous tourist spot after Saiful Muluk in the region. Lalazar valley is particularly crowded during the summer season as its natural beauty is fascinating.
On the other hand, the shining blue-green water of Khanpur Dam also attracts around 40,000 to 50,000 tourists every week from all over Pakistan who can easily enjoy various ground and water-based sports along with numerous recreational activities. Khanpur Dam and its surrounding areas have a lot of potential for water sports, cliff jumping, Jet skiing, family boating, kayaking, zip-lining, camping, wake tubing and others. In addition there are several historical; particularly Buddhist archaeological sites in the adjacent areas of Khanpur Dam that also attract a large number of local and foreign tourists.
Paragliding sports activities around Khanpur Dam:
All these tourist and historical resorts in the Hazara Division are extremely famous throughout the country and abroad. People from all walks of life frequently visit these areas in groups and with their families. Majority of these spots are within a radius of less than 300kms from Islamabad and only 200 kms from Abbottabad, the two famous, highly developed and modern cities of Pakistan. Therefore,the lovers of natural beauty can and certainly do manage to visit these areas even at the weekends. At the same time people in these areas are peaceful and tourists friendly; so people from around the world visit these heavenly places and enjoy their vacations at these tourist resorts. Though, the government of Pakistan, the Pakhtunkhwa government and the people in these beautiful areas earn Billions of rupees every year from these tourist spots. Even then the tourism potential of all these fascinating sites has yet to be fully explored and capitalised at the optimum level.So in the tourism industry of Pakistan, currently Hazara Division is playing an extremely crucial part.
This region is visited by millions of people every year that helps in the rehabilitation efforts of the suffering economy, image building and the overall development of the region and the entire country. However, there is a need for further exploration of such resorts in the area as the KP government and the current federal GOPare particularly emphasizing upon the promotion and capitalization of tourism industry in the country.-Part-2 (To be continue)
