Bids open for Dasu hydropower project civil works

LAHORE: In yet another major development towards construction of Dasu Hydropower Project, the Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) on Monday received bids for the main civil works (MW-01 and MW-02) of Stage-1 of the project. 

The bids were opened by a Committee headed by Wapda Member (Water) Muhammad Shoaib Iqbal here at the Wapda House.

The bids for civil works under MW-01 include construction of hydraulic diversion structure, spill way, intake structures, diversion tunnel, and hydraulic steel structures. As many as four companies belonging to China, Turkey and Vietnam participated in the bidding for MW-01.  The bids for civil works under MW-02 include construction of underground power house, two intake power tunnels and two tail race tunnels, and hydraulic steel structures. Three companies from China, Turkey and South Korea participated in the bidding for MW-02.

The contracts would be awarded after evaluation of the bids and receiving no objection letter from the World Bank.

It is pertinent to mention that the following five contracts of preliminary works of the project have already been awarded; relocation of Karakoram Highway worth Rs14.538 billion, construction of right bank access road worth Rs2.713 billion, construction of 132 kilovolt (KV) transmission line from Duber Khwar Hydel Power Station to Dasu worth Rs1.583 billion, construction of project colony and allied infrastructure worth Rs4.8 billion, construction of resettlement sites and Shatial Museum worth Rs571.95 million.

Dasu Hydropower Project, being constructed by Wapda on River Indus upstream of Dasu Town in Kohistan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province was a vital development project not only for the country but also for KP.

The project would stabilise the economy of Pakistan by providing low-cost hydropower besides ushering in a new era of socioeconomic development in the backward and far flung areas of KP.  The World Bank was partially providing funds for the construction of Stage-1 of Dasu Hydropower Project.