SECTION - 1

INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND

SECTION - 1
PROJECT AREA BACKGROUND
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DESCRIPTION

Page #

1.1

INTORDUCTION & BACKGROUND...........................................................................1-1

1.2

ACCESSIBILITY TO THE PROJECT AREA................................................................1-1

1.3

CLIMATE..................................................................................................................... 1-2

1.4

EXISTING POWER STATIONS..................................................................................1-3

1.5

PROPOSED SCHEME ...............................................................................................1-3

1.6

SALIENT FEATURES..................................................................................................1-3

TABLES
TABLE 1-1

CLIMATIC DATA

TABLE 1-2

AVERAGE MONTHLY RAINFALL

FIGURES
1-1

LOCATION MAP: PROJECT AREA

1-2

PROJECT AREA

Feasibility Report-2.3 MW Bezai Canal HPP

SECTION 1
PROJECT AREA BACKGROUND

1.1

INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND

Water is brought from Swat River through Upper Swat Mainline Canal commencing at village
Amandara in the Malakand Agency where head works were constructed in 1914. the whole
irrigation system, finally commissioned in 1918, is called Upper Swat Canal system and was
designed to provide irrigation water to 113, 312 hectares (280,000 acres) of barani wastelands
in the Malakand Agency, Mardan and Peshawar districts.
As the pressure of population grew, high water consuming, rich cash crops like sugarcane and
tobacco became wide spread and the Upper Swat Canal could no longer deliver what the
whole land demanded. It became unavoidable by early eighties to make a major remodeling
effort to increase the irrigation water supply. Luckily, Swat River had the water for the Kharif
season (April to September) whereas, requirements though Rabi (October to March) was a
period of some shortages. The remodeling effort appeared in the form of projects by the name
of Mardan SCARP, Swabi SCARP and Pehur High Level Canal Project.
The Swabi SCARP (Upper Swat Canal) included the construction of an additional tunnel
across the Malakand range of hills, which already had one tunnel as a part of the old irrigation
system of the Upper Swat Canal. The new Auxiliary tunnel constructed to carry a discharge of
51 m3/sec (1,800 cusec), this nearly doubles the supplies for the Kharif season.
The availability of additional water created the possibility of producing more electricity. A
power generation scheme was so conceived out of Swabi SCARP as to serve the needs of
remodeling of Swabi SCARP and generate additional power as well. This scheme was finally
prepared for private sector but was taken over by the provincial government to generate 81
MW of power and a net saleable energy of 553 million units. This new electricity generation
scheme named Malakand-III Hydropower Project.
To efficiently utilize the available water resources, some changes as from the original
Malakand-III Hydropower project concept were made in the alignment of water conduit of
Malakand-III Hydropower Project. The location of sediment excluder of that project was
changed along with the alignment of tunnel routes. Water is inevitably required for flushing the
sediments out of the excluder, which otherwise normally has to be wasted to make the
sediment excluder work. Instead this water was made to meet the needs of Bezai Irrigation
Scheme.
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Feasibility Report-2.3 MW Bezai Canal HPP

Water used to flush the sediments out of the Sediment Excluder emerges out o fit through
three steel pipes provided for this purpose. These pipes discharge the slit laden water into
three energy dissipation chambers, which are interconnected through a rectangular channel.
Water taken out of the Sediment Excluder is conveyed through this flushing channel for a
length of 175 m to the northeast where an escape is provided under the Malakand-III
Hydropower Project. From this point onward starts the Bezai Irrigation canal which is under
construction stage.
This water, at present, is discharging through local nullah into Bahlool khwar which is a
tributary of wartair khwar. The sediment excluder of Malakand III is anticipated to consume
5.66 cumecs or 10 % of the total inflow to remove the sediments by continuous flushing during
summer. This quantity of water is easily available during summer. During winter the sediment
content is expected to be much lower and so the requirement to remove the sediments by
continuous flushing was also reduced to half i.e 2.83 cumecs. Bezai canal hydropower project
would utilize this water which will be available for Bezai irrigation scheme.
The project layout was proposed, with minor adjustments have been made in the alignment of
flushing channel and Bezai irrigation canal, thus utilizing flows from Malakand III Sediment
Excluder. Sand trap, forebay and Spillway structure has been proposed keeping in mind the
peculiar site location, limited space and keeping in mind the alignment of under constructed
Bezai irrigation canal. The proposed sand trap structure has been aligned adjacent to existing
flushing channel at its left bank towards cliff side and just upstream of under constructed
Bezai irrigation canal aqueduct. The existing flushing channel beside this structure will have to
be abandoned after the construction of this project. Forebay structure has been proposed just
upstream of Bezai Canal baffle chute structure. From forebay to powerhouse, penstock has
been proposed for design capacity of 5.66 m3/s following natural contours. An open
powerhouse is proposed on the left bank of Baffle chute structure of Bezai Canal. Sufficient
space is available to place the power house structure. The baffle chute of Bezai Canal will
serve as spillway channel to carry water to Bezai canal in case of power plant shut down. The
natural contour in the area is in the range of 585 m. A gross head of 51.53 m with design
discharge of 5.66 m3/s would generate 2.36 MW and mean annual energy of 14.79 GWh. The
two units shall be provided with 1.18 MW each.
In almost all hydropower projects, the geology of the project site and reservoir area is of
crucial importance. On the basis of the results of the field survey and geological mapping,
design of the projects have been made with regards to sand trap, forebay type, spillway,
penstock, power house and power transmission system. The engineering studies have
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Feasibility Report-2.3 MW Bezai Canal HPP

included estimates of construction costs. Environmentally motivated design features and

mitigation measures have been be incorporated in the Feasibility Report.
1.2

ACCESSIBILITY TO THE PROJECT AREA

Roads and communication are necessary for the development of infrastructures and these
play a vital role in the socio-economic development of any area. Bezai Canal HPP area is
accessible from Peshawar via Mardan_Batkhela road which passes through Dargai. From
Dargai, road along left bank of Machai canal which after distance of about 2 km from Dargai
Bifurcatur confluences with tailrace of Malakand III HPP. From there onwards, road along
tailrace channel further leads to Sediment Excluder of Malakand III. However, for
transportation of equipment and machinery to power house site, access road of about 450 m
length is required to be constructed.
The distance of the project area from Peshawar and Mardan is 102 and 44 kilometres
respectively.
Transportation between Peshawar and Dargai by buses and trucks remain open throughout
the year.
1.3

CLIMATE

The climate of the project area is almost similar to the plain areas of Malakand and Mardan,
where year round crop can be raised. Mean monthly temperature of area in June, the hottest
month is 39.4 oC, while the coldest is 0 oC in the month of January. Table 1.1 shows the climatic
data of Mardan, for which record is maintained.

Jan

Table 1.1 Climatic Data of Mardan

Average Monthly Values
Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul
Aug Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Max Temp C

16.7

21.7

23.3

28.9

35.0

39.4

36.7

34.4

33.3

30.0

24.4

18.9

Min Temp oC

0.0

3.3

11.7

13.9

17.8

22.2

25.0

24.4

20.6

12.8

4.4

1.1

Relative humidity, %

65.0

63.5

66.0

60.0

46.0

45.5

58.0

69.0

67.0

68.5

73.5

75.5

16

25

25

27

29

36

54

42

24

13

10

8.0

8.7

9.5

10.6

12.2

12.8

10.4

10.3

10.8

10.3

9.0

7.7

Wind
Km/day

Speed
*

Sunshine, hrs/day

Source: Mardan Station data from O & M Manual, Mardan SCARP, 1985
* Measured at 10 m above ground

The rainfall in the area follows the general pattern of dry October, November, wet July,
August, and modest February, March and April. The annual rainfall over the area can be taken

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Feasibility Report-2.3 MW Bezai Canal HPP

as similar to the surrounding areas which range from 21 inches to about 30 inches per annum.
Table 1.2 given below shows the rainfall pattern relevant to the area.

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Feasibility Report-2.3 MW Bezai Canal HPP

Table 1.2
Average Monthly Rainfall, inches

Station

Name
Harichand
Dargai
Hathian
Risalpur
Mardan
Shahbaz Garhi
Hamzakot
Surkhawari
Shewa
Gohati

1.4

Period

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

Ma
y

Jun

Jul

Au
g

Sep

Oct

No
v

Dec

19091990
19091990
19231990
19701990
18911990
19621989
19091990
19621989
19091990
19091990

1.8
5
1.9
7
1.6
8
1.3
6
1.5
6
1.3
1
1.9
0
2.0
7
1.9
0
2.0
0

2.6
1
2.5
0
2.3
8
1.8
4
2.0
1
2.2
3
2.5
2
2.9
9
2.4
1
2.5
3

3.1
4
2.9
7
3.1
1
3.2
9
2.5
0
2.8
9
2.9
4
4.4
7
2.7
4
2.9
7

1.8
8
1.7
3
1.7
1
1.3
9
1.4
4
1.1
4
1.6
5
2.2
8
1.6
3
1.3
7

0.6
9
0.7
6
0.7
2
0.8
5
0.6
1
0.8
2
0.6
0
1.1
2
0.7
0
0.7
6

0.7
5
1.0
9
0.5
4
0.8
0
0.6
5
1.0
1
0.9
2
1.5
9
1.0
5
1.0
9

4.3
8
5.9
2
4.3
6
5.0
0
3.5
8
5.2
4
6.1
4
9.0
4
6.5
3
5.9
2

6.0
7
7.9
0
6.1
8
5.2
4
5.7
7
7.0
8
8.5
0
11.
6
8.7
0
7.9
0

1.7
9
2.3
0
1.8
0
1.6
3
1.2
8
1.7
9
2.4
2
3.7
5
2.3
8
2.3
0

0.5
6
0.7
3
0.7
0
0.5
2
0.3
5
0.6
5
0.5
7
0.6
7
0.5
8
0.7
3

0.4
2
0.4
8
0.4
3
0.7
2
0.3
0
0.6
8
0.3
9
0.6
8
0.4
5
0.4
8

1.1
6
1.2
5
1.0
6
0.9
3
0.9
7
1.2
6
1.2
7
1.5
9
1.2
2
1.2
5

Mean
Annual
(inches)
25.54
29.61
24.76

21.06

29.80

30.31
29.65

EXISTING POWER STATIONS IN MALAKAND AGENCY

Three-hydel scheme exists in the nearby vicinity i.e Malakand III Hydropower project of 81
MW capacity completed in 2008, Dargai powerhouse of 20 MW capacity commissioned in
1953, whereas, the third one Jabban power house is of 19.60 MW capacity and which was
commissioned in 1937, has outlived its useful life of operation. The plant was completely shut
down due to fire incident in 2006.
1.5

PROPOSED SCHEME OF BEZAI CANAL HPP 2.36 MW

The project area is located near village Dobandai. The coordinates of start of transition of
sand trap and powerhouse are as follows:

Site
Sand trap site

Latitude
35-15'-12"

Longitude
74-53'-30"

Powerhouse
Site

35-16'-15"

74-50'-33"

There will be a sand trap, forebay, spillway, penstock, powerhouse and tailrace canal.
Sandtrap has been proposed to settle down the particles more than 0.2 mm. The sand trap is
54 m long and 8 m wide comprising of two chambers each of 3.25 m width and depth of 5 m.
From forebay to powerhouse, a 75 m long penstock would be laid on sloping hill to connect
with powerhouse on the left bank of baffle chute of Bezai Canal.

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Feasibility Report-2.3 MW Bezai Canal HPP

1.6

SALIENT FEATURES

The salient features of the project area are as under:

Design Capacity
Design Discharge
Gross Head
Net head
Mean annual energy
Plant Factor
Nos. of Penstock
Penstock length
Tailrace length
No. & type of units

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=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=

2.30 MW
5.66 m3/sec
50.89 m
49.51 m
14.70 GWh
71 %
1 No. (1.35 m diameter)
85 m
20 m
2 No. Francis Horizontal Shaft type

1-6