Khanpur Dam

Khanpur Dam
Khanpur Dam
Official name	خان پور ڈیم
Country	Pakistan
Location	Khanpur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Coordinates	33°48′25″N 72°56′10″E / 33.807°N 72.936°E
Purpose	Supply of drinking and irrigation water to the Islamabad–Rawalpindi metropolitan area
Status	Operational
Opening date	1984
Construction cost	1.385 billion Pakistani rupees; (Equivalent to ₨26.4 billion in 2021)
Dam and spillways
Height	51 m (167 ft)
Reservoir
Creates	Khanpur Lake
Total capacity	79,980 acre⋅ft (98,650,000 m3)

The Khanpur Dam is located on the Haro River in Khanpur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, about 50 km from Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.^[1] It forms Khanpur Lake, a reservoir that supplies drinking water to Islamabad and Rawalpindi and irrigation water to many of the agricultural and industrial areas surrounding the cities.

The dam was completed in 1983 after a 15-year construction period, at a cost of ₨1,385.1 million.^[2] It is 51 m (167 ft) high and stores 79,980 acre-feet (98,650,000 m³) of water.^[3]^[2]

Blue-green water and tourism

The blue-green water of the dam attracts hundreds of tourists from all over Pakistan.

Rajgan Mosque

The deserted Rajgan Mosque, locally known as "Rajon ki Masjid", is located in the area.^[4]

Bhamala Buddhist Complex

Sculptures and heads dating back to the 2nd–5th century AD have been discovered during excavation at the Bhamala Buddhist Complex near Khanpur, known as the Bhamala Stupa. The area has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.