Mangla Dam, the biggest reservoir in terms of water storage in Pakistan, filled to its maximum conservation level of 1242 feet above mean sea level on Thursday.
As much as 7.277 MAF of usable water is available in the reservoir. With this development, all three reservoirs, i.e. Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma, are filled to their maximum levels with cumulative live storage of 13.316 MAF, which is a good omen for irrigated agriculture and hydel generation.
Completed in 1967, Mangla Dam has been significantly contributing to economic stability in the country, as it helps ensure water supply for irrigation, mitigates floods, and provides clean, green and affordable hydel electricity to the National Grid.
At the time of its construction, Mangla Dam had a live storage capacity of 5.88 MAF, which gradually decreased to 4.6 MAF by 2004 due to the natural phenomenon of sedimentation.
In 2004, WAPDA commenced the Mangla Dam Raising Project. On completion of the Mangla Raising Project, WAPDA not only regained the lost storage capacity but also enhanced it to 7.5 MAF with an addition of 2.9 MAF, turning Mangla Dam into the biggest water reservoir in Pakistan.
Being a multipurpose project, Mangla Dam also has an installed power generation capacity of 1000 MW. In view of the ageing factor of the generating equipment and the availability of additional water due to the raised Mangla Dam, WAPDA is implementing the Mangla Refurbishment Project in a phased manner. The Mangla Refurbishment Project will increase the power generation capacity from 1000 MW to 1310 MW.
