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Thursday March 28, 2024

WB concerned over delay in construction of Dasu Dam

By Israr Khan
October 23, 2018

ISLAMABAD: The World Bank (WB) has expressed serious concern over the delay in construction of run-of-river Dasu Hydropower Stage-I project warning that the loan which it has approved in June 2014 of $3.787 billion could lapse and Pakistan would have to face big losses.

For this project, the fund was approved by the bank in June 2014 with completion date was June 2021. Initially, it would have 2,160MW power generations which can be increased to 4,320MW in future at low cost.

It was claimed [by previous government] that they have completed land acquisition for Dasu project, but currently only seven percent (or 740 acres) of land is in hand, while the 12,000 acre land is required. The nation has to bear its fallouts and we have to resolve the issue, Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda said while addressing a news conference on Monday.

“We are incurring Rs300 million losses per day on this project since the previous government left the charge.” Previous government always took the steps to deprive the province (KP) of its benefits while getting kickbacks and delaying the project.

He further said that steering committee meeting with the World Bank has been pending for the last many months and today after visiting the Bank and discussing the issues, we held the committee meeting and cleared the NOC of the Bank. We have made the plan on war footings and going for its (land) acquisition. All possibilities would be exploited to curtail the losses.

“The indirect impacts are that you have to import LNG of $1.4 billion and there is a loss of Rs112 billion/year to the economy. These are indirect losses other than those Rs300 million.” He further said that we are working on strengthening our system and “I am ready to work in my domain and outside of my domain and have also empowered all including Wapda to work on war footings.”

“We have taken Dasu project on priority and war footing and would try to complete the project by 2022 or 2023, as we are already two-year behind the schedule,” he said. “On November 6, we are calling meeting in Peshawar and would resolve the Dasu dam issue. We need rectification for the losses we are facing in water sector.”

Regarding Darawat Dam in Jamshoro, Sindh, he said that it was completed with Rs11 billion. The feasibility was for 25,000 acres of land but in reality it was only 10,000 acres. The provincial government has to pay the center one billion rupees that has been pending for the last eight years. “We have called in its feasibility.”

“I am digging out several things, but some champions are trying to take me on back foot.” The government has decided to take up the issue of violations of Indus Water Treaty 1960 with India in an aggressive and firm way and wanted to resolve it on table, Vawda said.

“We have a severe issue of Indus Water Treaty with India. We are making a programme for addressing this issue in a very aggressive way and are going forward. And we hope to resolve the issues soon,” he said.

“We are going to address it in a very aggressive way and very firmly. And we are going to address our water rights issue. While coming on front foot, we would take our right,” minister said.

Joint Secretary Syed Meher Ali shah on this occasion said that that Indian government was not allowing Pakistani delegation to visit the sites of controversial Kishanganga and Ratle power projects. “We had planned to visit from October 7 to 12, and India was first agree on it, but later refused. I don’t see that this visit would take place in near future, “he said.

“In Sindh, you meet your requirement by purchasing water, whether this water comes from the sky. It means that water is there, but is not being provided to the citizens.” Regarding the closed telemetry system, he said that previous government closed the system through verbal orders. Till date, all these equipment are closed, which is an eye opener for Pakistanis. Now, nobody can know how much water a province is extracting from the system.

“Any amendment [18th amendment], law or something else cannot stop me from doing right thing,” he said. To a question he said that they have discussed the funds of the World Bank’s Water Sector Capacity Building & Advisory Services Project (WCAP) with the bank and its appropriate utilisation for maximum benefits. We are addressing it within days.

He said, “In my domain, despite having no money, I am ready to install telemetry system by generating the funds. For this, we have proposed a task force and will take chief minister and law enforcement agencies on board.”

“As I have broken the illegal water hydrants in Sindh, they say it is not your domain. Karachi Water & Sewerage Board (KSWB) is involved in water theft. The province is giving to federal government fee of one million rupees, while Rs880 million is overdue against the province under the head of electricity charges and others.” “They want to take me on back foot, and make me part of it [theft]. In Sindh, landlords and politicians are involved in water theft and I am exposing them.”