Ecnec approved Dasu hydropower land acquisition cost
Under water policy, storage capacity would be enhanced to an additional 10MAF by 2030
A representational image. PHOTO: REUTERS
ISLAMABAD:
National Assembly Standing Committee on Water Resources Tuesday was informed that the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) had approved revised land acquisition cost for Dasu hydropower project worth Rs37 billion.
The committee, which met with Nawab Muhammad Yousuf Talpur in chair reviewed land acquisition issues of Dasu Hydropower Project, implementation status of earlier recommendations of the committee, water distribution and its shortage to the provinces.
Briefing the NA panel, Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) member Zahid Khan Durrani said that the authority would arrange additional cost of Rs18 billion from its own equity.
He said the senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR) Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had committed that the district administration would complete the land acquisition for priority areas (1,247 acres) within six months and remaining land within one year after the approval of revised land cost by the Ecnec.
Water Resources Secretary Muhammad Ashraf told the committee that the Council of Common Interest (CCI) had already approved water policy in April 2018.
He said that under the policy, water storage capacity in the country would be enhanced to an additional 10 million acre feet (MAF) by 2030.
Out of the total around 7.1 MAF water would be stored by constructing Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams, while the remaining in small dams in all provinces.
Meanwhile, the committee was told that revised PC-1 for Naulong Dam had been submitted to the planning commission for approval.
Speaking about the provision of water to Bahawalpur, Punjab irrigation secretary informed the committee that additional water was not available due to storage capacity constraints and that the city was being given its due water share.
Indus River System Authority (Irsa) Chairman Sher Zaman briefed the committee about anticipated water availability for Rabi crop 2019-20 and rim stations inflows for Kharif season 2019. He said that currently additional over 4MAF water was available in the reservoirs as compared to last year.
The committee deferred the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (Amendment) Bill 2019 due to absence of its mover.
The meeting was attended by MNAs Fazal Muhammad Khan, Ali Nawaz Awan, Sheikh Rashid Shafique, Muhamamd Afzal Dhandla, Muhammad Farooq Malik, Javeed Iqbal, Naureen Farooq Khan, Nuzhat Pathan, Khalid Hussain Magsi, Marriyum Aurangeb, Ehsanur Rehman, Muhammad Hameed and senior officials of Ministry of Water Resources and other concerned departments.
National Assembly Standing Committee on Water Resources Tuesday was informed that the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) had approved revised land acquisition cost for Dasu hydropower project worth Rs37 billion.
The committee, which met with Nawab Muhammad Yousuf Talpur in chair reviewed land acquisition issues of Dasu Hydropower Project, implementation status of earlier recommendations of the committee, water distribution and its shortage to the provinces.
Briefing the NA panel, Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) member Zahid Khan Durrani said that the authority would arrange additional cost of Rs18 billion from its own equity.
He said the senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR) Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had committed that the district administration would complete the land acquisition for priority areas (1,247 acres) within six months and remaining land within one year after the approval of revised land cost by the Ecnec.
Water Resources Secretary Muhammad Ashraf told the committee that the Council of Common Interest (CCI) had already approved water policy in April 2018.
He said that under the policy, water storage capacity in the country would be enhanced to an additional 10 million acre feet (MAF) by 2030.
Out of the total around 7.1 MAF water would be stored by constructing Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams, while the remaining in small dams in all provinces.
Meanwhile, the committee was told that revised PC-1 for Naulong Dam had been submitted to the planning commission for approval.
Speaking about the provision of water to Bahawalpur, Punjab irrigation secretary informed the committee that additional water was not available due to storage capacity constraints and that the city was being given its due water share.
Indus River System Authority (Irsa) Chairman Sher Zaman briefed the committee about anticipated water availability for Rabi crop 2019-20 and rim stations inflows for Kharif season 2019. He said that currently additional over 4MAF water was available in the reservoirs as compared to last year.
The committee deferred the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (Amendment) Bill 2019 due to absence of its mover.
The meeting was attended by MNAs Fazal Muhammad Khan, Ali Nawaz Awan, Sheikh Rashid Shafique, Muhamamd Afzal Dhandla, Muhammad Farooq Malik, Javeed Iqbal, Naureen Farooq Khan, Nuzhat Pathan, Khalid Hussain Magsi, Marriyum Aurangeb, Ehsanur Rehman, Muhammad Hameed and senior officials of Ministry of Water Resources and other concerned departments.