Lala Maqsood’s latest and biggest project yet is the ‘Gul Zarin Dam’ in Tabi Sar, named after a village elder whom Lala had always admired for his wisdom and integrity. By building the dam, Lala wants to give back to Mother Nature, both in the short and in the long term.
The process of creating a dam requires arduous labor of 10-12 people over a period of about six months. There are different heavy machineries involved to carry out various procedures. To name a few, excavators are used to dig up the soil. Tractor trolleys then transport the soil away from the excavation site. Tractors are used to level the surface, and a water tanker moistens the soil to prepare it for the water. Then, a steamroller compacts the surface. Once the depth required for forming the water body is achieved, the boundary of the water body is formed using rocks – a task that is carried out manually. All the working men are paid monthly salaries, and fuel for the machineries as well as rent for the vehicles create additional costs. The entire project of completing the dam comes to around 80 to 90 lacs.
The dam brings multiple benefits. First and foremost, it will provide the area with water. It will allow for the supply of drinking water, thereby alleviating hardship for women and children who previously had to walk miles to access drinking water. It will also attract an abundance of birds and other animals that haven’t been seen in the area for the longest time due to the lack of water. As their species naturally navigate towards a water source, the creation of the dam will bring them back. Thereby, the dam area will turn into a ‘natural zoo.’ This in turn, is likely to attract visitors who would want to enjoy nature’s beauty. Lala envisions a beautiful place for plants, animals, and people, all thanks to the presence of one of the most essential elements of life – water.
Each time it rains, dust and soil from the mountains and dry areas are washed away and eventually carried to the ocean. Over time, this may attribute to the sea level rising. Storing rain water, and along with it the particles it carries, will help avoid that. Therefore, building the dam (which allows for rain water storage in a lake) is an important means to combat the undesirable rising of the sea level in the ocean.
Lala is aware that he may not live to see the long-term benefits of the dam. However, the idea that his donation will transform an arid and presently barren area into a lavishly green, fertile landscape that entails rich utilities for the local people gives him immense joy.