Preparatory work gains momentum: Wapda chairman visits Diamer Basha Dam project site

LAHORE: As the mobilisation and preparation of the works on strategically important Diamer Basha Dam project is gaining momentum, Wapda Chairman Lt-Gen Muzammil Hussain (retd) visited the project with a view to witness preparatory works, infrastructure development in the project area and most importantly further accelerate shifting of huge machinery and other equipment to the site.

Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) Director General Maj Gen Kamal Azfar, Wapda member (Water) and Diamer Basha Dam project General Manager Amir Bashir Chaudhry, official from Power China and other senior officers concerned were also present on the occasion. Apart from Power China, FWO is one of the two construction companies of the joint venture that won contract of the main dam and allied structures of Diamer Basha Dam project.

During his visit to the project area, Wapda chairman took a round of the main dam site and the contractor’s camp, where machinery and equipment have been stationed to kick start construction activities on the main dam.

While appreciating the swift mobilisation of the contractors, he hoped that mobilisation of the contractor to the project site will be completed soon. Highlighting the significance of Diamer Basha Dam project to cope with the increasing needs of the water and electricity in the country, the chairman urged the project management and the contractors to work with commitment and zeal, so that the project is completed on time.

Earlier, the project management briefed the Wapda chairman about infrastructure development, mobilisation status and preparedness to initiate construction work on the main dam and allied structures and components. Diamer Basha Dam is being constructed on River Indus – 40 km downstream of Chilas town.

The project is of paramount importance for water, food and energy security of Pakistan. It has gross water storage of 8.1 million acre feet (MAF) to mitigate floods and irrigate about 1.2 million acres of land. The project has an installed capacity of 4500 megawatt with annual energy generation worth Rs18.1 billion low-cost electricity.