Power needs of Diamer Basha Dam: Wapda all set to construct 21MW hydropower project

LAHORE: The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) is all set to construct 21 megawatt hydropower project to meet electricity needs for Diamir Basha Dam.

They said the hydropower project is being constructed at Tangir, an area adjacent to Diarmir Basha Dam. They said this small hydropower project is part of the contract for the dam. This hydropower station would be handed over to locals as a Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) once the construction of Diamir Basha Dam is completed, they added.

An official document, copy available with Business Recorder, suggests that other CBMs have also been designed under the heads of social safeguards, environmental management plan and resettlement related infrastructure.

According to the document, the Wapda is set to spend over Rs 10 billion under social safeguards, including Rs 10 million for monitoring and evaluation plan, Rs 126 million for relocation management plan, Rs 103 million for cultural heritage management plan, Rs 15 million for gender action plan, Rs 10 million public consultation and information plan, Rs 80 million for fisheries management plan, Rs 1 billion for livelihood interventions, Rs 5.6 billion social safety net, Rs 2.3 billion for education sector development plan, Rs 233 million for health services plan an Rs 1.1 billion for business restoration plan.

Similarly, the Wapda would spend Rs 32 million for environmental management plan. So far as resettlement related infrastructure is concerned, Rs 20 billion would be spent on composite model village at Harpan Das and alternate resettlement plan. Another Rs 44 billion would be spent on right bank periphery roads and Rs 2.7 billion integrated area development.

Diamer-Bhasha Dam is a concreted-filled gravity dam, in the preliminary stages of construction, on the River Indus between Kohistan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Diamer district in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The dam site is situated near a place called “Bhasha”, hence the name which is 40 Km downstream of Chilas town and 315 Km from Tarbela Dam. The eight million acre feet (MAF) reservoir with 272-metre height will be the tallest roller compact concrete (RCC) dam in the world.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021