Mangla Dam

The Mangla Dam, a significant multipurpose dam, is situated on the Jhelum River within the Mirpur District of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan.  Recognized as the seventh-largest dam globally, it derives its name from the adjacent village of Mangla.  Construction of this vital infrastructure project was undertaken by a consortium of eight American construction firms, collectively known as the Mangla Dam Contractors, and managed by Guy F. Atkinson, headquartered in southern San Francisco, California.  The lead design, engineering, and inspection responsibilities were entrusted to the British engineering firm, Bunny & Partners, under the guidance of Geoffrey Bunny.  The project's contractors were officially announced in November 1961.The dam's construction was a direct outcome of the Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960. This treaty granted India rights to the waters of the Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas rivers.  Pakistan, in addition to receiving some financial compensation, gained rights to utilize the waters of these rivers within its territory, as well as the Jhelum, Chenab, and Indus rivers.  Prior to 1967, Pakistan's agriculture sector heavily relied on the unregulated flow of the Indus River and its tributaries.  This reliance led to low agricultural productivity, primarily due to water scarcity during crucial periods.  Seasonal monsoon variations caused significant fluctuations in river flow, and the absence of adequate reservoirs hindered the storage of excess water during periods of high discharge.The Mangla Dam represented the first of two major dams designed to mitigate this water shortage and bolster Pakistan's irrigation infrastructure. The second, the Tarbela Dam, was later constructed on the Indus River in Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, also as part of the Indus Basin Project.  Initially, the Mangla reservoir boasted a storage capacity of 7.25 billion cubic meters (5.88 million acre-feet). However, this capacity decreased to 5.77 billion m3 (4.674 million acre-feet) due to sabotage in 2005 and is projected to decline further.To counteract this reduction in capacity, the Mangla Dam Raising Project was initiated in 2004.  Completed in 2009 at a cost of Rs. 101.384 billion, this project involved raising the dam's height by 30 feet to a total of 482 feet (147 meters), increasing the maximum water conservation level from 1202 feet to 1242 feet.  Consequently, the dam's storage capacity increased from 5.56 to 9.12 billion m3 (4.51 to 7.39 million acre-feet). The project also aimed to boost the powerhouse's energy generation by 12% annually, raising its installed capacity from 1,000 MW to 1,120 MW.While the Mangla Dam Raising Project provided significant benefits, it also displaced over 40,000 people residing around the dam.  A comprehensive resettlement plan, costing Rs. 70 billion, was implemented to compensate and relocate these individuals.  The plan included the construction of New Mirpur City, four satellite urban centers (Islamgarh, Chakswari, Dadial, and Siach) complete with civic amenities, the Mirpur Bypass, and two bridges spanning the Jhelum River and Bong Canal, respectively