PESHAWAR, Apr 18 : The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government was developing picnic resorts in five small dams in different districts to promote ecotourism besides provide better recreational facilities to people.
The province was blessed with mesmerizing natural beauty, varieties of forests rangelands, rich biodiversity and mountains where the government was going to develop recreational and picnic resorts in premises of five small dams including Tanda and Kundal dams to promote ecotourism in KP.
“Initially, we have identified five small dams including Tanda dam in Kohat and Jalozai dam in Nowshera where modern picnic and recreational spots would be developed in a bid to promote ecotourism and water sports in the province,” said Latifur Rehman, Spokesperson of KP Tourism Department .
Besides Tanda and Jalozai dams, Kundal dam in Swabi, Chatri dam in Haripur and Jangza dam in Abbottabad district have been selected for development of tourism spots and others facilities for ecotourism and adventure sports lovers.
Besides a key source of tourism, Kundal dam constructed by PTI Government was irrigating about 13,340 acres of fertile and barren land in Swabi district.
Being 48m high and 320m length, Kundal dam was most suitable for ecotourism as it is a place from where the mighty River Indus and River Kabul was passing.
Completed under small dams’ construction initiative of the PTI Government, Kundal dam is also helpful in controlling of floods and soil erosion especially during monsoon season.
Covering an area of 405 hectares, Tanda in Kohat is another most suitable dam for promotion of ecotourism and water sports having a big lake with water storage capacity of 65,000 acres feet.
Tourists and residents of Kohat, Hangu, Kurram and Peshawar districts besides nearby towns and villages of Jurma and Shahpur would largely benefit.
Thanda dam is a protected site under Ramsar Convention being an international treaty for conservation and utalization of wetlands and a home to migratory birds including Siberian cranes and ducks.
These dams would help reduce tourists’ load on the already established resorts including Thandyani, Nathia Gali, Kalam and Kumrat valleys.
Over 25 small dams were completed in KP including 18 out of which nine were built by KP Government under its ADP and Federal Government under its PSDP.
PSDP small dams includes Laughar, Karak, Ghole Banda, Mardankhel in Karak, Khari Bara in Haripur, Jabba Khattak in Nowshera, Palai Charsadda, Darmalak Kohat and Khundal Swabi.
The projects completed under ADP includes Gandyaley, Chanday Fatehay Khan and Kandar Kohat, Naryab Hangu, , Sharkai and CHanghoz in Karak, Bargantau Bannu and Jalozai Nowshera.
KP was a huge potential to become a hub of ecotourism and adventure sports if picnic spots in premises of all these 25 dams were developed on modern lines besides become a source of revenue and generation of employment.
