PM orders to start work on Bhasha Dam from next year

Dam to be constructed with Pakistan’s own resources

ISLAMABAD: In a big leap forward to overcome future scarcity of water in the country and as long-term plan for generating cheaper and environment friendly electricity, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has given final go-ahead signal to gigantic Diamer Bhasha Dam by according approval in principle for its financing plan under which work on the project will start next from year.

The construction of the dam was vehemently opposed by India and prospects of foreign assistance of the $14 billion project suffered setback when international financial agencies back-tracked from their commitments. According to the Prime Minister House, the prime minister has given approval in principle for the financing plan. It was presented by Federal Secretary Water and Power Yunus Dhaga. This innovative proposal on self-reliance basis is to fund the dam portion of the project from Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) allocations and Wapda generated resources, while the rest of the financing for the power generation portion will be arranged on commercial basis by the ministry either through Wapda or through leasing its existing projects.

The prime minister approved the proposal in principle and asked federal secretaries for Water and Power, Planning and Finance to expedite completion of financial proposal and secretary Water and Power to start preparations so that the physical work on the dam is started before the end of next year. Diamer Bhasha Dam was approved for construction by Council of Common Interests (CCI) in 2009. The efforts to finance it through multilateral donors have been taking a longer time and Pakistan needs to enhance its storage capacity urgently to meet the challenge of becoming a water scarce country. The storage capacity in the existing dams is fast depleting due to silting and the country is losing on its agricultural produce after every few years due to a dry season. That calls for constructing more storages.

Diamer Bhasha Dam will provide 8.1 MAF gross storage of which 6.4 MAF will be live storage and it will have a capacity to produce 4,500MW cheap and clean energy. 

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appreciated the fact that the land acquisition for the dam has been completed with the efforts of the ministry and Gilgit Baltistan administration where Chief Minister Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman took personal interest in the task. It has been planned in the adjoining areas of GB and KP.

Diplomatic observers are of the view that India has been trying very hard to block Pakistan’s economic development. Its leadership tried its level best to check the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) but failed. Now it is threatening to deprive Pakistan of its share in river waters. New Delhi raised hue and cry about the dam projects in Pakistan. Nawaz Sharif, disregarding the Indian mischievous activities, has decided to move ahead with all the schemes ensuring future prosperity of Pakistan.

Meanwhile, reminding the significance of local bodies, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has maintained that democracy cannot flourish without well functional local government system.

Addressing the stalwarts of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) from Punjab here Monday at the Prime Minister House, he said that the local bodies also serve as nurseries for providing trained and well versed leadership at the provincial level and later on at the national echelon. 

The prime minister had candid discussion with the leaders from Punjab about upcoming elections of the office holders of the local bodies in the province. The sources said that Special Assistant to the PM for Political Affairs Dr Asif Saeed Kirmani presented overall report about the outcome of the local bodies polls in the province and break-up of the strength in the bodies. The purpose of the exercise was to consider probables for various offices. 

The leaders of PML-N briefed the prime minister about the emerging scenario pertaining to the elections of mayors and deputy mayors in various bodies after the local bodies elections in Punjab. 

The prime minister expressed hope that the local bodies would offer useful service for the community on grassroots level since the people have pinned hopes with them. The government would provide them requisite assistance in performance of their task, the prime minister added. 

The meeting was attended by federal ministers Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Asif, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Senator Pervaiz Rashid, SAPM for Political Affairs Asif Saeed Kirmani, Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, provincial ministers of Punjab, Rana Sanaullah Khan, Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, Malik Nadeem Kamran, Manshaullah Butt, Senator Saud Majeed, Mehar Ishtiaq Ahmed, MNA, Muhammad Pervez Malik, MNA, Samiullah Khan.