Agreement inked to resume work on Dassu dam project

MANSEHRA: The successful talks between landowners, district administration and representatives of Wapda have paved the way for resumption of work suspended three months back on 4,200 megawatts Dassu hydropower project.

“This is a great day in history of Kohistan. Now there would be no hurdle in the execution of Dassu dam,” Deputy Commissioner of Kohistan Mushtaq Ahmad told reporters in Dassu on Friday.

The talks initiated some two weeks back were successful and the parties signed an agreement for the smooth execution of work on Dassu Dam being built in Kohistan with financial assistance of the World Bank.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) from Kohistan Abdul Sattar and 80-memebr committee of landowners, project manager Dassu dam Javed Akhtar, Advisor to Chairman Wapda Abdul Ghaffar Khan and officials of the Revenue Department were present on the occasion.

According to the terms, the price of the land being acquired for the reservoir would be paid in accordance with the 16-point agreement.

Wapda would set up health centres, schools and colleges while the local people would be employed on priority basis.“I am thankful to the district administration and representatives of Wapda for talking out issues with landowners sincerely and henceforth both sides would work for rapid completion of the project,” said MPA Abdul Sattar.  

He said the people of Kohistan wanted smooth execution of the hydropower projects being executed in the district to overcome the energy crisis. It may be recalled the landowners and 80-member committee forcibly stopped work on the dam some three months back as they wanted the government to accept their demands. A Chinese company was awarded contract for the construction of Dassu hydropower project.