Dasu dam: Chinese firm fails to secure WB approval for project bidding

The delay has already escalated the total cost of the project manifold, says Justice Dost Muhammad Khan

ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has refused to entertain a Chinese firm’s plea, seeking its early intervention in the bidding process regarding the construction of 4,320MW Dasu hydropower project on the Indus River.

The bank has, however, advised Messrs Power Construction Corporation of China Limited (PCCCL) to approach Islamabad and the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) for the bidding process of Dasu dam to be built in Kohistan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).



The Supreme Court is adjudicating the PCCCL petition, seeking a direction for Wapda not to publicise the outcome of the pre-qualification of the bidding for the project’s construction.

The top court on August 25 provided an opportunity to the Chinese firm to approach the World Bank through an appeal against the decision of Wapda of ousting the company from awarding contract of the construction of the civil works of Stage-I of the dam.

While adjourning the case till the third week of September, the top court on September 2, said it would pass an appropriate order after the WB’s [positive or negative] decision came out.

Counsel for PCCCL Salman Aslam Butt on Saturday filed a miscellaneous application in the apex court, wherein the WB’s one-page written response was also attached for the court’s consideration.



During the last hearing on September 2, Justice Dost Muhammad Khan was of the view that further delay in the construction of the dam would aggravate the problems, adding the development of Dasu dam should have been completed a decade ago.

“The delay has already escalated the total cost of the project manifold which will definitely burden Wapda, as well as the common taxpayer,” the judge noted.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 11^th, 2016.