This assurance was given by ADB Acting Country Head Donneth Walton in a meeting chaired by Water and Power Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Saturday which reviewed progress and other related matters concerning the dam project.
Walton said ADB is already in the process of due diligence for Diamer-Bhasha dam and all aspects of this very important hydropower generation project have been considered for assistance.
“The project will play a vital role in flood mitigation, open a new era of economic development and generate 4,500 megawatts of electricity in addition to storing 6.4 million acre feet of water which will help irrigate thousands of acres of land,” said Power Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf.
He said that the life of Tarbela Dam will extend by about 35 years on completion of Diamer-Bhasha dam and the government was working on hydropower projects to reduce its dependence on thermal power and generate cheaper clean electricity to meet future needs.
Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Chairman Shakeel Durrani briefed the meeting on the current status of the project, allocation of funds by the government during 2009-10, sanction of Rs20 billion for 2010-11, establishment of a land acquisition and resettlement unit in Wapda, land acquisition in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, upgrading of Karakoram Highway, a three-year resettlement plan and other related matters.
The meeting was attended by secretary and additional secretary ministry of water and power, member (water) Wapda, member (infrastructure) Planning Commission, GM Diamer-Bhasha dam and other senior officials.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 16th, 2011.
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