Area to be Submerged

 There have been varying figures of the actual area to be submerged under the reservoir. WAPDA has been indicating the minimum possible figures, assuming provisional facility for one season cropping, and leaving the title with the landholders.

Whereas the calculation of the total area, expected to be submerged under the KBD waters is beyond the scope of this research. However, the point worth emphasizing is that the land to be affected by the KBD reservoir will not only be the one that gets submerged under the water, but will also be the one that gets inundated every five years (by 1 in 5 year flood).

In fact, it is not only the land area that will be snatched by the waters of KBD, but is the total area declared dangerous for safe development due to the increase in its risk factor for productive investment. And since flood plains are never regarded as safe boundaries for development, hence the actual land area to be affected by the KBD would be many times more than what is being claimed by KBD under its waters, as projected by WAPDA in its reports.

Moreover, and as a matter of great concern, the thousands of acres of rich cultivable land in Mardan, Charsadda and Nowshera Districts is feared to turn into swampy marshlands in the long run. Since the area has been fully developed with tremendous cost, its submergence will be a major loss to NWFP in particular and Pakistan in general.

 At the same time, the creation of a 164 sq. miles of water pond in the middle of a fully inhibited area will be a major and perpetual hazard for accidents to happen.