Ghazi-Barotha Dam: Chinese company to complete stalled project

Agreement signed between CDA, Chinese govt.

ISLAMABAD:

A Chinese company will complete the stalled Ghazi-Barotha Hydropower Project. Once completed, the project is expected to ease the water crisis in the twin cities.

An agreement to this affect was signed by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman with the Chinese government in Beijing on Wednesday.

Once the project is operational, 200 million gallons of water per day will be channelled to Islamabad and Rawalpindi from the dam. President Zardari and CDA chairman were present during the ceremony.

Chinese experts will visit Islamabad to work on modalities and a technical study.

After the Ghazi-Barotha project was approved in 2005, it was marred by controversies. Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa opposed the project for drawing water from Indus River, which was hindering its execution. Originally budgeted at Rs22 billion in 2005, the Ghazi-Barotha project will now cost Rs50 billion. In the first phase, 100 million gallons each will be supplied to Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

CDA spokesperson Ramzan Sajid said work on the project would begin by September.

According to CDA chairman, work on 6,000 flats in I-15 will also be initiated in collaboration with China.

Presently around 65 million gallons of water are supplied to the capital daily, including 24 million gallons from Simly Dam and 10 million gallons from Khanpur Dam. Another 10 million gallons from Rawal Dam are shared by the twin cities.

Islamabad is facing a deficiency of 85 million gallons per day, according to CDA.

Published In The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2012.