- Water storage capacity of Tarbela Dam impacted by silting in reservoir
- Tarbela Dam was constructed along the Indus River in 1976
ISLAMABAD: China is all set to help Pakistan clean its Tarbela Dam with a straw made from steel, Pakistani media reported on Tuesday.
The innovative move will see Beijing, Islamabad’s closest ally, use a 120-meter long steel rod to remove silt from the country’s largest reservoir.
According to Pakistan’s Water and Power Development Authority, Tarbela Dam is one of the world’s largest earth and rock-filled reservoir and the greatest project to develop water resources. It was completed in 1976 as part of the Indus Basin Project.
Last week, the adviser to the Ministry of Water Resources told the senate that the water storage capacity of the dam had reduced by 41 percent due to silting in the reservoir, adding that it was a natural phenomenon and thus unpreventable.
“However, the government has taken steps for the construction of the Diamer Basha Dam which will help reduce the inflow of silt into Tarbela Dam,” the statement released by the ministry read.