WAPDA chairman visits Dasu plant

Project likely to start electricity generation by November 2026

LAHORE:

Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Chairman Lt Gen (Retd) Sajjad Ghani on Wednesday visited the Dasu Hydropower Project, being constructed on the river Indus, upstream of Dasu town in Upper Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The chairman, accompanied by member (Water) Wapda and Commissioner Hazara division, witnessed construction activities on various sites of the project, including inlet areas of the diversion tunnels, main access tunnel, power house cavern, right bank access road, Wapda colony and the contractor’s camp. The Dasu project management and representatives of the consultants and the contractors were also present on the occasion.

Earlier, the project management briefed Ghani about pre- and post-flood scenario on the project. He was apprised that construction activities after the recent floods, had resumed on as many as nine sites. Concerted efforts were being undertaken to complete the diversion system of the project by April 2023 to start construction work on main the dam.

The project is likely to start electricity generation by November 2026 while the 4320 MW-Dasu Hydropower Project is being completed in two stages.

At present, Wapda is constructing stage-I with installed generation capacity of 2160 MW and annual energy generation of 12 billion units of low-cost and environment-friendly electricity.

While stage-II, when implemented, will also provide nine billion units to the national grid. It is projected that after completion of both stages, Dasu will generate the highest amount of energy in Pakistan, with a capacity of 21 billion units on average.

Wapda is spending Rs17.34 billion on the schemes relating to resettlement, environmental management and social development in the project area.

Besides, the project has also created about 3722 jobs so far, including 1945 for locals.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 15^th, 2022.

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