Mangla Dam Project

Overview and location of Mangla Dam

Mangla Dam Project (in Urdu Mangla Band) is a multi-purpose dam located on the Jhelum River in Mirpur district of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. It is the sixth largest dam in the world. Mangala village, located at the mouth of the dam, serves as its namesake. In November 1961, the selected contractors for the project were revealed.

It was announced that a British engineering firm, Benny & Partners (headed by Geoffrey Benny), was to serve as the lead designers, engineers and inspectors for the construction of the dam. The project was undertaken by a consortium known as Mangala Dam Contractors, which included eight American construction companies sponsored by the Guy F. Atkinson Company of South San Francisco, California.

Background of Mangla Dam

Under the Indus Basin Agreement of 1960, India got the right to the water of the Ravi, Sutlej and Beas rivers, while Pakistan got the water of the three rivers in addition to the water of the parts of the three rivers within Pakistani borders and some financial compensation. Got the right to develop the Jhelum, Chenab and Indus River basins.

Until 1967, Pakistan’s entire irrigation system was entirely dependent on the unregulated flow of the Indus River and its major tributaries. Agricultural production was very low for several reasons, the most important of which was the lack of water during critical growth periods. This problem arose due to seasonal variations in river flow due to monsoons and the absence of storage reservoirs to store large volumes of excess water during these periods of high river discharge.

Mangala Dam was the first of two dams built as part of the Indus Basin Project to reduce this deficit and strengthen the country’s irrigation system, the other being the Tarbela Dam on the Indus River in Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Construction of Mangla dam

Construction Cost

Mangala Dam was constructed at a cost of Rs 15.587 billion (US$1.473 billion) with financing from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

Water reservoirs

The dam was constructed between 1961 and 1965 on the Jhelum and Poonch rivers in Mirpur district of Kashmir, about 108 kilometers (67 mi) southeast of the capital Islamabad. The components of Mangala Dam include a reservoir, main dam, intake dam, main spillway, emergency spillway, intake structure, 5 tunnels and a power station.

In addition to the main dam, a dike called Sukiyan – 17,000 feet (5,200 m) long and about 11 miles (18 km) from the new Mirpur city, a smaller dam called Jari Dam was constructed to block the Jari Canal. Had to do.

A total of 120 x 106 cubic yards were excavated for reservoirs while the total excavation was 142 x 106 cubic yards, and the amount of concrete was 1.96 x 106 cubic yards respectively. The main embankment is filled with soil as the base material. Gravel and A-type sandstones are placed on the shoulders.

The embankment has a maximum height of 454 feet (138 m) and a length of 8,400 feet (2,600 m) above the central trench. The intake embankment is of earth-filled type with B-type sandstone as the base material. Gravel is placed on the shoulders. The intake embankment has a maximum height of 262 feet (80 m) and a length of 1,900 feet (580 m) above the central trench.

Susian Dam is filled with B-type sandstone as the base material. A-type sandstones are placed on the shoulders. The intake embankment has a maximum height of 144 feet (44 m) and a length of 16,900 feet (5,200 m) above the central trench.

Jarry dam is also an earth-filled type with soil as the base material. The shoulders of the dam are filled with gravel. The Jari Dam has a maximum height of 274 feet (84 m) and a length of 6,800 feet (2,100 m) above the main trench.

The main spillway is a submerged hole type with 9 radial gates, 36 ft (11 m) x 40 ft (12 m) each. mangla dam is a maximum capacity of 1.1 million cusecs. The emergency spillway is a weir type with a broken weir and has a maximum capacity of 0.23 million cusecs. The five tunnels are made of steel and concrete and have a length of 1560 feet (about 475.49 m). The internal diameter is between 26 feet (7.9 m) and 31 feet (9.4 m).

Parameter’s details of Mangla Dam

Power Station of Mangla Dam

The powerhouse, consisting of turbine, generator and transformers, is built on the toe of an intake embankment at a height of 865 feet SPD above ground level. Water is supplied to the powerhouse through five steel-lined tunnels of 30/26 feet diameter. Each tunnel is designed to feed two production units.

The powerhouse tailrace discharges into the New Bong Canal, which is 25,000 feet (about 7.62 km) long and has a capacity of about 49,000 cusecs of water and terminates at the Automatic Gate Control Headworks about 12 km (about 7.46 mi) downstream near the old Bong Skip Headworks. Is.

The powerhouse has ten vertical Francis type turbines. Each of these turbines has an output of 138,00 bhp rated at 295 feet of water. The first four turbines were manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric, Japan and installed in 1969, turbines 5 and 6 were manufactured by KD Blansko of the Czech Republic and installed in 1974, turbines 7-8 ACEC, were manufactured by Belgium and installed in 1981, while the other two turbines are Škoda, Czech Republic-built and launched in 1994.

These turbines are connected to umbrella type generators with a production capacity of 100 MW. Hitachi, Japan supplied the generators for turbines 1-4 and 7-8 while Scorda generators are connected to turbines 5-6 and 9-10.

These generators are connected to three phase transformers. The transformers connected to turbines 1, 4 and 7 were manufactured by Savigliano in Italy. The transformers for turbines 5 and 6 are made by Ataltrafo, another Italian company, while the remaining five transformers were supplied by Skoda.

Migration and resettlement of mangla dam

The Government of Pakistan had agreed to pay royalties to the Government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir for the use of water and electricity generated by the dam. Pakistan had initially promised free electricity to the entire Azad Kashmir region and clean water to Mirpur city.

However, over time, this agreement was not maintained transparently, resulting in Pakistan facing challenges in meeting its financial obligations related to payment of royalties for electricity and water services in Azad Kashmir.

As a result of the construction of the dam, more than 280 villages and towns of Mirpur and Dadyal were submerged and more than 100,000 people were displaced from the area. Some of those affected by the dam were given work permits by the government of Pakistan for the UK, and as a result, most of the Pakistani community in many cities in the UK is from the Dadyal-Mirpur region of Kashmir.

There are 747,000 Mirpuris in the UK, and the British Mirpuri community makes up around 70% of the British Pakistani community. This percentage is higher in northern cities and towns. In the industrial city of Bradford in northwest England, an estimated three-quarters of the population are from Mirpur, and Birmingham also has a large population. At this time, many began working in textile and steel mills, due to a severe labor shortage in England.

Operation of Mangla Dam

The project was primarily designed to increase the amount of water that could be used for irrigation from the flow of the Jhelum and its tributaries. Its secondary function was to generate electricity from irrigation discharges at the artificial head of the reservoir. Although the project was not initially designed as one, it also serves as a flood control structure, retaining water during the monsoon flood season.

On 5 December 1971, the dam was damaged by Indian Air Force bombing during the Indo-Pak War of 1971. It was against international convention that large bodies of water should not be targeted in war. As a result, the hydro project was temporarily out of service.

According to data available in 2009, the project has generated 183.551 billion units of affordable hydel energy since its inception. Annual generation during 2008-2009 was 4797.425 million KW while the station’s pack load was 1150 MW which was 8.18% of WAPDA’s total system pack.

On September 1, 2013, the water level in Mangala Dam reached a record high of 1237.15 feet (about 377.08 m) while the maximum water storage level in the reservoir was 1242 feet (about 378.56 m). According to Radio Pakistan, the water level in Mangala Dam has reached an all-time high of 1237.15 feet (about 377.08 m) and is still rising.

Raising of Mangla Dam

The initial reservoir capacity of Mangla Reservoir was 7.25 billion cubic meters (5.88-million-acre feet), which decreased to 5.77 billion cubic meters (4.674-million-acre feet) in 2005 and is expected to decline further.

To counter this trend, the Mangala Dam Raising Project was initiated in 2004 and the main dam, spillway and related works were completed in 2009 at a cost of Rs 101.384 billion. The project effectively increased the height of the dam by 30 feet to 482 feet (147 m), increasing the maximum level of water protection from 1,202 feet (about 366.37 m) to 1,242 feet (about 378.56 m). This increased the dam’s storage capacity from 5.56 to 9.12 billion m3 (4.51-to-7.39-million-acre feet).

In addition, the powerhouse is expected to generate 12 percent additional energy per annum after increasing the height of Mangala Dam by 30 feet, increasing its installed capacity from 1,000 MW to 1,120 MW.

However, more than 40,000 people living around the dam have been affected by the Mangala Dam Rising Project. The total cost of compensation and rehabilitation was Rs 70 billion. The rehabilitation plan includes construction of New Mirpur City, four satellite towns (Islamgarh, Chakswari, Dadyal, Sikh) with all urban amenities, Mirpur Bypass and two bridges over Jhelum River and Bong Canal respectively.

Expansion of Mangla Dam Power Station

The dam was expanded during Pervez Musharraf’s tenure, but this did not increase the power generation capacity apart from raising the water level in the dam. [citation needed] In November 2012, the United States announced a $150 million grant for the expansion of the Mangala Dam powerhouse.

Under the project, $400 million will be spent on the Mangala Dam powerhouse, which is estimated to provide additional generation for the next 40 years. After the completion of this project, the power generation capacity of Mangala Dam will increase from the existing 1000 MW to 1310 MW. On 23 May 2022, WAPDA successfully commissioned two generating units for the renovation of Mangala Hydel Power Station, increasing their capacity from 200 MW to 270 MW.

Importance of Manga Dam in Pakistan

Mangala Dam is an important water reservoir in Pakistan and its importance lies in various economic, social and environmental aspects. Some important points highlighting the importance of Mangala Dam in Pakistan are:

Water Storage: Mangala Dam is one of the largest reservoirs in Pakistan, providing ample water storage capacity. The dam stores water from the Jhelum River, which helps reduce the effects of seasonal variations in the river’s flow. This stored water is important for agriculture, especially during the dry months, ensuring a continuous supply of water for irrigation.

Irrigation: The main purpose of Mangala Dam is to provide water for agricultural irrigation in the Jhelum and Chenab river basins. The release of water from the dam plays an important role in increasing agricultural production in the region, helping in the cultivation of various crops and in food security.

Hydroelectric power generation: Mangala Dam has a hydroelectric power station that generates electricity. The electricity generated from Mangala Dam plays an important role in Pakistan’s energy mix, helping to meet the growing energy needs of the country. Hydropower is a relatively clean and renewable energy source, making it environmentally sustainable.

Flood Control: The dam also plays an important role in flood control by regulating the flow of water in the river Jhelum. During periods of heavy rain or melting snow, the dam can store excess water, preventing flooding in low-lying areas and minimizing impacts on populated areas.

Recreation and Tourism: Mangala Dam Reservoir has become a popular destination for recreational activities and tourism. Large reservoirs and surrounding landscapes attract tourists, providing opportunities for boating, fishing and other water-based activities. Moreover, the natural beauty of the region contributes to the development of tourism in the region.

Environmental Effects: Dams have both positive and negative environmental effects. On the positive side, it has helped regulate water flow, reduce soil erosion and support biodiversity in the region. However, the creation of reservoirs has displaced local populations and altered natural ecosystems, which may have negative effects on the environment.

In summary, Mangala Dam plays an important role in water resources management, agriculture, energy production, flood control and tourism in Pakistan. Despite its undeniable benefits, the environmental and social impacts associated with large dam projects must be considered and addressed.

How power generate in Mangla Dam

Mangala Dam generates electricity through a hydroelectric power station located at the base of the dam. Here is a brief overview of how the power generation process works:

Water Storage: The main function of Mangala Dam is to store water from the river Jhelum. A dam creates a large reservoir by impounding water, and the stored water is used for a variety of purposes including irrigation, flood control, and hydroelectric power generation.

Penstocks and Turbines: When power generation is required, water is released from the reservoir and allowed to flow through large pipes called penstocks. These penstocks direct the flowing water to the turbine. The force of the water flow causes the turbine to rotate.

Rotational Energy: As turbines rotate, they convert the kinetic energy of flowing water into mechanical energy. This rotational energy is transferred to a generator connected to the turbine shaft.

Generator: The generator is an important component in the power generation process. It converts mechanical energy from the rotating turbine into electrical energy. This conversion is based on the principle of electromagnetic induction, where a magnetic field is used to induce an electric current in coils of wire.

Electricity transmission: The electrical energy generated in the power station is then transmitted through a network of power lines to homes, businesses and industries. The voltage can be increased by transformers for more efficient long-distance transmission.

Distribution: Finally, electricity is distributed to end users through local electricity distribution networks. It powers homes, businesses and various other facilities, contributing to the overall energy supply in the region.

The hydropower generation process at Mangala Dam is considered a clean and renewable energy source as it depends on the natural flow of water to generate electricity. It provides a reliable source of electricity to the electrical grid, helping to meet the region’s energy needs in an environmentally sustainable manner.

How Much Water is Store in Mangla Dam?

As per the last update of my knowledge in January 2022, the maximum water storage capacity of Mangala Dam is about 7.4-million-acre feet (MAF) or 9.12 billion cubic meters (BCM) of water storage. However, it is important to note that the actual level of water storage in a dam can vary based on seasonal fluctuations, different purposes (such as irrigation, hydropower generation, and flood control) and the overall water management strategy. Is.

For the latest and accurate information about the water storage level in Mangala Dam, I would recommend checking with the relevant authorities such as the Water and Power Development Authority of Pakistan (WAPDA) or other government sources responsible for the management of the dam. I am They generally provide real-time data on reservoir levels and water storage capacity.

Frequently asked questions

Q: What is Mangala Dam?

Ans: Mangala Dam is a multi-purpose reservoir constructed on the Jhelum River in Pakistan. It serves various purposes including irrigation, hydropower generation, and flood control.

Q: When was Mangala Dam constructed?

Ans: The construction of Mangala Dam started in 1961 and was completed in 1967. It was officially inaugurated in 1967.

Q: Where is Mangala Dam located?

Ans: Mangala Dam is located in Mirpur district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan.

Q: What is the purpose of Mangala Dam?

Ans: The dam serves a number of purposes including irrigation, hydropower generation, flood control and development of recreational areas.

Q: How much water is stored in Mangala Dam?

Ans: The maximum water storage capacity of Mangala Dam is about 7.4-million-acre feet or 9.12 billion cubic meters (BCM) of water storage.

Q: How does Mangala Dam contribute to agriculture?

Ans: Mangala Dam releases water for irrigation, supporting agricultural activities in the Jhelum and Chenab River basins. It helps in ensuring a stable water supply for crops.

Q: Is Mangala Dam used to generate electricity?

Ans: Yes, Mangala Dam has a hydroelectric power station that generates electricity. The electricity generated meets the energy needs of Pakistan.

Q: What will be the impact of Mangala Dam on the environment?

Ans: Dam construction has both positive and negative environmental impacts. It regulates water flow, reduces soil erosion, but also causes displacement of local populations and changes natural ecosystems.

Q: Is tourism allowed in Mangala Dam?

Ans: Yes, Mangala Dam and its reservoir have become a popular destination for tourists, offering opportunities for boating, fishing and other recreational activities.

Q: How is the water level controlled in Mangala Dam?

Ans: Water levels are managed through controlled discharges and flows, balancing the needs of irrigation, hydropower generation and flood control in collaboration with the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA).