New beginnings: Progress made on Diamer Bhasha project

WAPDA acquires ownership of 17,000 acres of land.

LAHORE: Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Chairman Syed Raghib Abbas Shah visited the Diamer Bhasha Dam project site. He was accompanied by senior officials of WAPDA and project specialists.

The Diamer Bhasha Dam had been temporarily relegated by the Pakistani authorities because of financial issues. On this occasion Wapda chairman revealed that the organisation has paid Rs5.5 billion to the Gilgit-Baltistan government to acquire the land.

Speaking at the event, Shah said that because of the keen interest taken by the prime minister and the efforts put in by the Ministry of Water and Power and Wapda around 17,000 acres of land had been transferred by the government of Gilgit-Baltistan to Wapda for the Diamer Bhasha Dam project.



Terming it a significant milestone for the implementation of the project, Shah thanked the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan (KAGB) for transferring the state-owned land to Wapda.

Shah added that the government views the Diamer Bhasha Dam project as a high priority project and it is looking forward to implementing the project through Wapda.

Shah appreciated that work for the resettlement of the affected people at Harpen Das model village had been started. Furthermore, he expressed satisfaction at the speed of the construction work at Wapda offices, residential facilities, roads and other infrastructure at Thor and Shatial bypass.

For Diamer Bhasha Dam project, acquisition of land, development of infrastructure in the project area and implementation of resettlement as well as social action plan are simultaneously underway through the funds provided by the federal government. The process of selection of consultants for the project is in the final stages following the submission of proposals by three internationally-renowned consortiums.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 7^th, 2013.

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