Wapda to spend Rs 45 billion on new dams, reservoirs

The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) during the current fiscal year will spend Rs 45 billion on the construction of ongoing dams and water reservoirs out of which Rs 10 billion has been earmarked exclusively for the acquisition of land.
Wapda Chief Tariq Hamid told APP here on Sunday the federal government had allocated these funds to Wapda to be spent on the completion of on-going hydro power projects being executed in different parts of the country to meet the ever increasing demand for power and to offset the impending threat of acute water shortage.
He said out of total allocation, Rs 10 billion will be spent on the acquisition of land for the purpose of dams and water reservoirs, adding all the affected persons will be compensated properly and resettled in modern towns equipped with basic amenities of life to be developed adjacent to their dislocation.
About new thermal power generation, the Wapda chief said the Authority plans to install 200 MW plants at any of the three sites ie Lahore, Nandipur, Sheikupura and Faisalabad.
He said Wapda will soon float tenders and all the three plants of 600 MW capacity will be commissioned on fast track in one year to bridge the gap between demand and supply of electricity in the country.
He said he has issued necessary instructions to Member (Power) Wapda Chaudhry Muhammad Anwar Khalid and other relevant quarters for preparation of comprehensive plans for power generation.
He said Wapda is in a position to bridge the widening gap between demand and supply on priority provided necessary funds were made available timely.
Regarding power breakdown and loadshedding, Tariq Hamid said he has directed in clear words all the chief executives of the all distribution companies across the country to ensure that power outages are minimised by monitoring distribution system to mitigate the sufferings of the common people.
He said at the request of business community leader Businessmen Panel Co-Chairman and former FPCCI president Iftikhar Ali Malik, all chief executives have also been directed to avoid power disruption and failure in all industrial feeders without solid technical reason.
Now all officers have been directed to seek prior approval of the chief executive before any shutdown in industrial area, he added. He said he himself realises that power failure badly affects the performance of the industries which causes loss not only to industrialists but to national exchequer as well.
The Wapda chief said that all superintending engineers and executive engineers of the Operation Wing throughout the country have also been warned to ensure uninterrupted and smooth power supply in their respective areas and strict action will be taken against those who will fail to comply with. About power supply to KESC, he said he has directed NPCC chief executive to ensure supply of 775 MW to KESC in compliance of prime minister's directive.