Naulong dam land acquisition to cost Rs1.95b

ISLAMABAD:

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Water Resources was informed on Thursday that the construction work of Naulong dam in Balochistan was set to begin next year and the project would be completed till 2031.

Chaired by Khalid Hussain Magsi, the committee discussed scrutiny of the budgetary proposals of the Ministry of Water Resources relating to Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for the financial year 2025-26;

The committee expressed displeasure over the late submission of the brief for members' perusal.

Syed Ali Murtza, Secretary of Water Resources briefed the Committee on budgetary proposals for the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) 2024-25. The proposed PSDP 2025-26 outlines key funding priorities for ongoing and new initiatives in water management, irrigation, and hydroelectric power generation, he said.

The Project Director of Naulong dam briefed the committee that the much-anticipated dam project on the Mula River in Balochistan was progressing towards implementation, marking a significant milestone in the region's water and energy infrastructure. Located approximately 395km from Quetta, the project requires 4,282 acres of land, with an acquisition cost of Rs1.95 billion, he said and added, the Government of Balochistan has already released Rs0.9 billion and the land acquisition process has commenced following the completion of necessary formalities.

The committee was informed that the construction is set to begin in Feb 2026.