Hingol Dam

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Hingol Dam is a proposed small hydroelectric dam on the Hingol River in Lasbela District, Balochistan, Pakistan. It would sit about 260 km northwest of Karachi and near the Makran Coastal Highway and Kund Malir.

The plan calls for a low-head, Central Core Zone dam about 172 feet (52 m) tall and 2,500 feet (760 m) long. The reservoir would hold roughly 2.1 million acre-feet of water, with about 1.3 million acre-feet available each year for irrigation. The project would irrigate around 80,000 acres, with a larger potential cropped area of about 160,000 acres and a cropping intensity of around 200%.

Hingol Dam would also generate electricity, with an installed capacity of 3.5 MW and an annual generation of about 4.4 GWh. In addition to flood control, the dam would provide drinking water, support fisheries, and create jobs and recreational opportunities for local residents. The overall benefits are expected to improve living standards, though some advantages are hard to measure in money.

The estimated cost is about US$311 million, with roughly US$227 million for civil works and US$28 million for electro-mechanical works. Feasibility studies were completed in 1992, but construction has not begun due to financial constraints and local opposition. In 2008, the Balochistan Assembly opposed the dam, and local Hindu communities protested to protect Hinglaj Mata temple and nearby Hingol National Park. The plan was moved about 16 km upstream to protect the temple, but progress has remained slow.

Key facts
- Dam type: Central Core Zone (low-head)
- Height: 172 ft (52 m); Length: 2,500 ft (760 m)
- Reservoir gross storage: about 2.1 million acre-feet; about 1.3 MAF annually for use
- Command area: 80,000 acres; Cropped area: 160,000 acres; Cropping intensity: ~200%
- Installed capacity: 3.5 MW; Annual generation: 4.4 GWh
- Estimated cost: US$311 million (civil works ~US$227 million; electro-mechanical ~US$28 million)
- Status: Proposed; progress slow due to funding and opposition