Diamer Basha Dam project may get off the ground in July

LAHORE: In a major boost to regional cooperation and economic development, Pakistan and China are expected to commence gigantic effort of constructing the main dam of Diamer Basha Dam next month, The News has learnt.

Close to 500 workers and other staff including sizeable Chinese and other foreign professionals have been mobilised to participate in a major exercise of building mega structure, which would eventually

regulate water of mighty Indus River for achieving goals of power generation and meeting drinking, irrigation other needs downstream.

Ultimately, about six thousand-strong workforce of contractors, including over a thousand Chinese and other foreigners would be involved in this massive building activity involving civil work of main dam located in Northern Pakistan, which borders on Indian Occupied Kashmir.

Such a huge masonry work is going to happen for the first time since the completion of Tarbela Dam in mid-seventies. In addition to billions of rupees of financial benefits in terms of cheap electricity generation and smooth availability of water all year round, the construction and allied work in the remote part of the country will generate direct and indirect employment opportunities for thousands of local workers besides bringing in prosperity for the population living in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in general and in the vicinity of project site in particular.

Realising benefits of building reservoirs, present government has decided to vigorously pursue the work on Diamer Basha Dam, resulting in a massive build-up of machinery and plants at the site.

Similar determination was echoed at a crucial meeting held Wednesday where high-ups vowed to formally kickstart the civil work.

Diamer Basha Dam Project is being pursued vigorously as federal minister for water resources and Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) chairman fully backed the move to push the mobilisation with full force.

Federal Minister for Water Resources Muhammad Faisal Vawda, while presiding over a meeting reviewed the Implementation Plan of the strategically important Diamer Basha Dam project.

The federal minister expressed satisfaction that the project was progressing well despite the fact that COVID-19 pandemic had slowed down the routine life the world over.

“Following the award of the contract last month, the activities on this phenomenal project have been continuing at a good pace that reflects the commitment of the government for the construction of the mega dams to avert looming water crisis in the country and add low-cost hydel electricity to the national grid,” Vawda said.

The Implementation Plan of the project was also discussed in detail during the meeting. The minister directed the project authorities, the consultants and the contractors to adhere to the timelines specified in the plan, so that the project could be completed on time.

Chairman WAPDA, dilating upon the construction schedule, briefed the meeting about the major milestones of the Implementation Plan. He apprised the meeting that the contactors had started mobilising their workforce and machinery to the site soon after signing of the contract.

He added that the works for infrastructure development in the project area were progressing satisfactorily.

“WAPDA is committed to completing Diamer Basha Dam project in accordance with the stipulated time frame,” the chairman said. It is pertinent to mention that Diamer Basha Dam will provide water for agriculture, mitigate floods and low-cost hydel electricity for economic development in the country.

The project has a gross storage capacity of 8.1 million acre-feet (MAF) and power generation capacity of 4,500 megawatts (MW), with annual generation of 18.1 billion units per annum. Construction of the project, to be completed in about nine years, will enhance the life of Tarbela Dam by 35 years and help substantially increase power generation from hydropower projects downstream.