WAPDA master plan reaches execution phase

Seeks to add 20,000MW by 2020, if funds are provided.

LAHORE: The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) is working to execute its master plan for optimal utilisation of Pakistan’s indigenous water and hydropower resources to supplement water for irrigated agriculture and add a good quantum of low-cost hydel electricity to the national grid.

While addressing a delegation of the 26th Air War Course of Pakistan Air Force War College, Wapda Chairman Raghib Shah said that a number of water and hydropower projects with cumulative water storage capacity of 12 million acre feet and power generation capacity of about 20,000 megawatts (MW) were under various stages of implementation, from construction to detailed engineering design.

Besides addition of 400MW to the system during December 2012 to mid-2013, Wapda plans to add 5,000MW within the next five years and another 14,000MW by 2020, provided funds were made available for the purpose.

Wapda plans to achieve this through the under-construction 969MW-Neelum Jhelum project and 106MW Golen Gol Dam, 4,500MW Diamer Bhasha Dam, 1,410MW Tarbela 4th Extension project, 4,320MW Dasu Dam, 7,100 MW Bunji, 740 MW Munda Dam, 84MW Kurram Tangi Dam and Mangla up-gradation project adding 120MW, he added.

Responding to a question, Shah said that the government was constructing the multi-purpose Diamer Bhasha Dam as a priority project, because it will provide water for agriculture and help control floods besides generating low-cost hydel electricity.

At present, the process to acquire land, both in Gilgit Balitistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is in progress, while work on 14 local contracts was in full swing for construction of model villages for the displaced, Wapda offices and colonies, contractor’s camps, road, etc in the project area.

Expression of interest had also been called for consultancy for the project, he further said. The chairman also said that the World Bank had shown interest to provide funds for the Dasu hydropower project following completion of its detailed engineering designs in March 2013.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 17^th, 2012.