List of 15 dams in Pakistan:. 

As you all may know , Pakistan is an agro, based economy thus heavily reliant on water resources. There are many picturesque areas and eye catching sceneries in Pakistan that are worth visiting. A variety of functions is accomplished  with dams that notably include the flood control, flat water reaction, hydropower electricity generation, and water supply and mostly built on river and streams.  

The major chunks of dams built from 1960 to 1975. Pakistan has blessed. There are approximately 150 dams in Pakistan. Here we will describe 15 major dams that are more famous. 

List of 15  famous dams in Pakistan:. 

. 1 Rawal dam 

. 2 Tarbela dam 

. 3 Neelum_ jehlum dam 

.4 Mangla dam 

.5 Mirani dam 

.6 Diamer bhasha dam 

.7 khanpur dam 

.8 sabakazi dam 

.9 Hub dam 

.10 satpara dam 

.11 Darawat dam 

.12 Gul pur dam 

.13 Gomal zam dam 

.14 warsak dam 

.15 Namal dam 

let's have a look at each one of them individually. 

1. Rawal dam:. 

If, you are residing in Pakistan , it is quite possible that you already know about the famous Rawal Dam situated in the beautiful capital of Pakistan- Islamabad. The construction of Rawal Dam begen in 1962 and has since been Pakistan's water reservoir, supplying water to the housing schemes of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The Dam can hold about 42,000 acre- feet of water. 

Both the korang river and several minor streams that descend from the margalla Hills supply the Rawal Dam water. Rawal Dam, also popularly known as Rawal lack, is known for its  admirable surrounding park adorned with luxuriant trees, barbeque areas, picnic places, swings and slides for children, and much more! 

 2. Tarbela Dam :. 

Among Pakistan Dams, the Tarbela dam holds a prominent position. It is located in Khyber pakhtunkhwa Haripur and swabi districts. This dam was built to stop the River  Indus from flowing, creating the Tarbela lake reservoir as a result. 

The construction of the Tarbela dam began in the early 1960 and was fully operational by 1976. The Dam lies 105 kilometers north west of Islamabad and close to the city of swabi. The River Indus was use to built this enormous dam. The dam's main objective was to store water for irrigation and electrical production. Since the Tarbela Dam is Pakistan primary source of hydropower electricity, it often undergoes any necessary upgrades and modification.  

The finest feature of Tarbela dam is that it has an electricity production capacity of roughly 5,000 megawatts with a planned extension increasing this to 6,300 megawatts.  

3. Neelum- Jhelum Dam :. 

 The Neelum-Jhelum Dam Hydropower plant is part of a run of the river  hydroelectric power project in Azad Kashmir designed to divert water from the Neelum river to a power station on the Jhelum River. The power station is located to 42km south of Muzaffarabad and has an installed capacity of 969 MW. Construction on the project began in 2008 after a chines consortium was awarded the construction contact in July 2007. 

After many years of  delays, the first generator was commissioned in April 2018 and the entire project was completed in August 2018 when the fourth and last unit was synchronized with the national grid on 13 August and attained it's maximum  generation capacity of 969MW on 14 August 2018. It will generate 5,150 GWh per year at the levelised tarrif of Rs 13.50 per unit of 30 years. 

The plant had managed to reached 1040 MW production on a few occasions, which is beyond it's capacity and a rare precedence in hydel power sector. 

The Neelum Jhelum Dam was shut down dew to major cracks in the tail race tunnel on July  6, 2022. It resumed power generation on August 9, 2023 after the completion of restoration work in the tail race tunnel.  

4. Mangla dam:. 

The mangla dam is a multipurpose dam situated on the jehlum river in the  mirpur district of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. It is the sixth largest dam in the world. The village of Mangla , which sites at the mouth of the dam, servers as it's namesakes. In November 1961 the project's selected contractor were revealed; it was announced that Binnie & partner's a British engineering firm, was going to serve as the lead designers, engineer's, and inspectors for the construction of the dam. The project was undertaken by a consortium known as the mangla dam contractor's , which consisted of eight American construction firms sponsored by the Guy F. Atkinson company based in south San Francisco California. 

5. Mirani dam:. 

In the ketch district of Pakistan , Blochistan region, the Mirani dam is located on the Dasht river, south of the central Makran range. It is a body of water that collect water from the ketch and Nighing rivers, covering 302,000- acre- feet(373, 000, 000 m3). 

Mirani dam was completed in 2006, however, the water and power development Authority ( WAPDA) of Pakistan constructed the Mirani dam in 2001 to supply water to the city of Gwadar. The project was finished by Descon Engineering Limited as an EPC.  

If a dependable water supply were made available the arable land in ketch valley could be used for agriculture. In the summer and during floods, the dams functions as a water storage facility. 

6. Diamer bhasha dam:. 

The Diamer bhasha dam is a concrete- filled gravity dam, located on the Indus river, Gilgit Baltistan. It is still in it's initial stages of construction. The name Diamer bhasha is based on the area bhasha in the Diamer district of Gilgit Baltistan. 

Once finished, the Diamer bhasha, Dam will be suitable to produce Hydroelectricity of 4500 MW. Along with it the dam will be capable of stocking 8, 500,000 acre feet extra of water that will be used for drinking and irrigation needs of the country. Also this dam will have enough power to control floods damages during high flood by River Indus and can extend the longevity of Tarbela dam. 

In October 2011, then prime minister of Pakistan Yusuf Raza Gilani laid establishing stone. After completion, This Diamer bhasha Dam is set to be the worlds highest RCC dam. 

 7. Khanpur dam:. 

Khanpur dam was built to restrain the outflow of the Haro river in 1983. The reservoir constructed, as a result, is known as khanpur lake, which has taken a special place in the list of dams in Pakistan that store drinking water to Islamabad and Rawalpindi. If we talk about the natural beauty of this stunning dam, then there is no doubt is saying it has everything, the attraction, the scene, and the magnificent vista. 

 That is why regularly, the dam encounters several tourists. The pleasing blue- green water offer a wide range of water sports games, such as swimming, boating clif jumping, kayaking , and jett skiing. Let's take an eye on this dam History. The construction of dam was finished in 1983 at about a cost of  1, 385.1 million. It is 51 m (167 ft ) elevated and stores about 79, 980 acre feet ( 98,  650, 000 m3 ) water.   

8. Sabakazi dam:. 

Sabakazi dam is basically an embankment dam. ( An embankment dam is a artificial dam. It is normally formed by the order and reduction of  a complicated semi- plastic pile of miscellaneous price of soil or rock. ) The gosh of the zhob river in blochistan drived frome the sabakazi dam in the southwest part of the province of Pakistan. From 2004 to 2007, the construction of the sabakazi dam has assisted the irrigation of regional lands and supplied a much needed recreational area for resident. It is approximately 68 km southwest of  zhob in blochistan. The dam  is 395 m long loaded with earth and Rock with a base area of 7300 acres. It was inaugurated by the Ex. President pervez Musharraf on 3 September 2007.  These dames are located in all the province of Pakistan and performing their functions accordingly. 

9. Hub dam :. 

It is situated on the river Hub. Hub dams remains a liquid artificial lake with the designation of Hub dam. This barrier stands on the boundary of Blochistan as well as Sindh countryside in regions of  Lasbela as well as Karachi about 56 km far starting from Karachi. 

Using an unsophisticated storing capability of 8000 meters. On the other hand, this created this barrier as the 3rd  prevalent dam of Pakistan. 

In assumption For the city of Karachi, this barrier remains from the foremost foundation for the consumption of liquid. The zone neighboring the dam acknowledge as a natural world national park in 1974  by Sindh direction. 

The space of national park stays abou 27219 hectares. For feeding and nesting of chuks , Gumboots, pelicans, as well as winches, this national park remains the greatest satisfactory part. On 1 may 2001 Ramsar location was labeled by the Hub dam. 

This dam stays a well- known vacationer place in addition. On the other hand General public from Karachi in an anormous quantity stopover at this place on vacations to delight in whirling , have a picnic , as well as go fishing. Furthermore , for travelers to stopover, there stands a relaxation household by WAPDA. 

10. Satpara dam:. 

Located below the satpara lake in sakrdu valley of Gilgit Baltistan. The satpara dam has actually increased the size of  the lake , supplying  millions of gallons of water to sakrdu on a daily basis while also generating 17.4 MW of hydroelectricity that powers the town. Planned for completion between 2003 and 2011, the final powerhouse of the dam were eventually built in 2013. Satpara lake is one of the most beautiful lake in Pakistan and therefore frequented by tourists, primerly in the summer season since rodes are often closed during the winter. 

11. Darawat dam:. 

The Darawat dam , although included in the list of famous dam in Pakistan , is a lesser - known dam as not many people know about it. Located in the jamshoro district of Sindh,this dam stands over the Nai Baran river with all it's grandiosity. 

The construction of this dam started in 2010 and was last completed  in 2014, open to all operations. However, it was inaugurated by Asif Ali zardari president of that time, in 2013. 

Darawat dam amazingly holds  the capacity of storing 150 million cubic meters of water. An according to estimation, the Government spent almost 9.3 billions PKR on the completion of this dam. 

12. Gulpur dam:.

Gulpur hydropower plant is an operational project located on poonch river , a major tributary of jehlum River near Gulpur in kotli  District of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. The site is about 167 km from federal capital Islamabad and 285 km from Punjab provincial capital Lahore by a two - lane, all weather, paved , partly mountainous road. The location of the project is about 28 km upstream of Mangla dam reservoir. 

Gulpur hydropower project is an run of the river project designed for the generation of 100MW consisting of two kaplan- type turbine units with an average energy output of 436 GWh. Gulpur hydropower project is a part of least - cost energy generation plan, being executed by WAPDA to harness the indigenous hydropower resource of country. WAPDA awarded contract to MiRA power limited, a subsidiary of korean company KOSEP, an independent power producer being developed in the private sector on a BOOT  basis under government of Pakistan policy for power generation project 2002 as adopted in Azad jammu Kashmir. The project has the capibility of Generating an average  annual energy of 465 GWH. 

13. Gomal zam dam:. 

Multi purpose Gravity dam located in the south Waziristan Agency of Federal Administered, Tribal areas, Pakistan, situated in Gomal zam dam. Passes from a narrow gap in khjori kach , Dam is on the waters of Gomal river a brach of mighty Indus river. However, the main purpose of Gomal zam dam is Hydroelectric power  generation, irrigation and flood control. 

In August 2001 , The building process of Gomal zam dam started and completed in April 2011. Powerhouse units of dams completed till march 2013 and starting production of electricity in August 2013.Along with Shaukatullah Khan Khyber pakhtunkhwa Governor and US Ambassador Richard G Olson, Minister for water and power khawaja Muhammad Asif officially inaugurated the dam on 12 September 2013. 

 With the depth of 133m of Gomal zam dam is an RCC Gravity dam. This dam can generate of electricity of 17.4 MW. In August 1963, construction of dam was approved by Government of Pakistan and initial work took place. However, because of indo- pak 1965 were construction of dam stopped. Later on general pervez Musharraf , president of Pakistan ordrd to start construction of dam 2001. Therefore independence day 14 August 2001, the ceremony for Groundbreaking took place and constructed till April 2011. 

14. Warsak dam:. 

Warsak dam remains one of the largest dam in the record of the largest Pakistan dam. The dam is positioned on the Kabul River in northwest of Peshawar, the regional  town capital of Khyber pakhtunkhwa. 

The dam of warsak has accomplished the two most important stages. The principal segment was accomplished in the year 1960 in addition to the subsequent phase was completed between 1980 to 1981. 

Additional the overall elevation stand around 250 feet with a dimension of 460 feet. The aggregate price spent on the building of warsak dam was a hundred and fifty six million rupees. In addition, the warsak Dam Hydropower Development takes the capibility to creat 243 MW electrical energy. 

In June 2012, the June Pakistan WAPDA was certain to increase a 300 MW driving force to warsak, which must the resolve the increase warsak whole electrical energy creation capability to 525 MW.

At present the management remains to recover the dam to encounter the higher then before the burdens of the general public. It is heard Germany will provide a mortgage of 40 million euros to Pakistan for the reintegration of the Hydroelectric authority of warsak dam construction situation which was assembled many decades ago on Kabul River in Khyber pakhtunkhwa. 

15. Namal dam:. 

Namal dam is located at Rikhi, a village situated in a corner of namel valley 32 km from mianwali, Punjab province of Pakistan. It was constructed in 1913 by the British Government with Namal lake  owning a surface area of 5.5 km. By looking at the western and southern sides of the dam you can see the view of stunning mountains. The north and east sides consistent of  agricultural areas of the city. The main purpose of dam certain was to provide water irrigation to the local farmlands. For over a century the one of the famous dams in Pakistan has served tones of water to the farmers in the area. But over time now, it has taken place  as the best picnic spot in the city. Usually, locals and  tourists visit this dam to perform boating, hiking, and bird - watching activities. 

Conclusion:. 

As mentioned at the start of this article, there are over 150 dams in Pakistan, however, aforementioned are the 15 most famous dams there are in Pakistan. Dams are very important in Pakistan since we are an agricultural nation and depend on a water supply for both our existence and our prosperity. Furthermore, dams are the perfect spot to hang out with family and friends due to their scenic beauty and recreational facilities.