Business

WAPDA signs Rs4.8 billion contract with Chinese group

Aimed at construction of project offices, residencies for Dasu hydropower project

APP November 17, 2015

PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has signed a contract worth Rs4.8 billion with China Railway First Group (CRFG) for the construction of a project colony and allied infrastructure for Dasu Hydropower project.

The contract includes construction of project offices, residential houses, hostels, rest house, hospital, community centre, parks, and playground and is expected to be completed in about two years, said a press release.

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Dasu Hydropower Project General Manager Wapda Haji Muhammad Farooq Ahmed and CRFG General Manager Xian Zhengjum signed the agreement in a ceremony held at Wapda House. Wapda Chairman Zafar Mahmood was also present.

Urging the contractor to complete the work within the stipulated time, Mahmood marked the day to be a good one for DHP with the project’s fourth contract been awarded through a transparent system.

“Expression of Interest (EoI) submitted by various international construction firms for civil works of the dam and powerhouse are being processed, and construction on the dam and powerhouse will commence as soon as the processing is completed,” said Mahmood.

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It is worth mentioning that contractors of the earlier three contracts mobilised sites for construction of 132-KV transmission line from Duber Khwar hydel power station to Dasu project site, relocation of Karakoram Highway and construction of the right bank access road.

The federal government will execute the Dasu project in two stages. The World Bank is financing stage I with an International Development Association (IDA) credit of $588.4 million and IDA Partial Credit Guarantee of $460 million.

The 2160 MW-Stage-I is scheduled to be completed in five years and will contribute more than 12 billion units of affordable and environment-friendly electricity to the national grid every year.

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Moreover it will provide relief to consumers by reducing power tariff. To cap it all, the project will usher in a new era of socio-economic development in the far-flung areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2015.

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COMMENTS (7)

Shakil Ahmed Khan | 9 years ago | Reply @Israr: If building a housing and other civil infrastructure, why we need Chinese or any foreign company to build that? is it a rocket science(though we are good at it)? its down to kickbacks who pays more!

Fame | 9 years ago | Reply @Indigenous, forget about inside planning and execution of such projects they can't even run the installed project like Nandipur. Engineering project is like wrong selection of piping layout more it stretch more it will be complex.

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Ali | 9 years ago | Reply The contract includes construction of project offices, residential houses, hostels, rest house, hospital, community center, parks, and playground and is expected "to be completed in about two years". Are you serious?Its not any metro, flyover or government interest project,so at least two years it will take to start and completion time will be at least 3 to 4 years.

Pankaj | 9 years ago | Reply @shahid: "Why can’t this be built by Pakistanis? Why does everything have to be built by the Chinese? There is no rocket science involved in building basic infrastructure. Why then?" Mega project means mega contract, mega contract means mega corruption..... No rocket science.

Indigenous | 9 years ago | Reply Why does this government create local research and development to build technology for mega project inhouse? It will be cheaper in the long run with huge impact on local economy.

shahid | 9 years ago | Reply Why can't this be built by Pakistanis? Why does everything have to be built by the Chinese? There is no rocket science involved in building basic infrastructure. Why then?

Israr | 9 years ago | Reply This government making plans for a project that is likely to be completed after 2018? Is this real? Where did the vision beyond getting re-elected come from? I must say I like it though. Interesting to note we have fallen so in love with China after PMLN came to power, offering every contract to Chinese companies. Looks like some Saif Ur Rehmans have been placed in China.

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