Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) is implementing a master plan for optimal utilisation of the indigenous water and hydropower resources to supplement water for irrigated agriculture and add a good quantum of low cost hydel electricity to the national grid.
Wapda Chairman Raghib Shah expressed these views while addressing a delegation of the 26th Air War Course of Pakistan Air Force War College, Karachi here at Wapda House on Thursday. The delegation was led by Air Commodore Nadeem Shujaat Khan. Speaking on the occasion, the Chairman said that a number of water and hydropower projects with cumulative water storage capacity of 12 million acre feet and power generation capacity of about 20,000 megawatt (MW) were under various stages of implementation (ie from construction to detailed engineering design).
Besides adding 400 MW electricity to the system from the end of 2012 to the mid 2013, Wapda also plans to add 5,000 MW within next five years and another 14,000 MW by 2020 provided funds are made available for the purpose. This addition will be made through under-construction 969 MW-Neelum Jhelum and 106 MW-Golen Gol, 4,500 MW-Diamer Basha Dam, 1,410 MW-Tarbela fourth Extension, 4,320 MW Dasu, Mangla Upgradation Project, 7,100 MW Bunji, 740 MW-Munda, 84 MW-Kurram Tangi Dam, etc, he added.
Responding to a question, the Chairman said the government was implementing multi-purpose Diamer Basha Dam as a priority project, because it would not only provide water for agriculture and help control floods but also generate low-cost hydel electricity. At present, the process to acquire land both in Gilgit Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is continuing, while the work on 14 local contracts is in full swing for construction of model villages for affectees, Wapda offices and colonies, contractor's camps, road, etc in the project area.
Expression of Interest (EoI) had also been called for consultancy of the project, he further said. The Chairman also informed the delegation that the World Bank had shown interest to provide funds for Dasu Hydropower Project following completion of its detailed engineering designs in March 2013.
Wapda learning from the past is actively perusing different options to arrange funds for its projects. Responding to another question regarding impact of climate change on water flows, Shah apprised the delegation that Wapda was setting up glacier monitoring system in high ranges of the glaciers for the purpose with support of the WB and other financial institutions and donor agencies. The delegation was further informed that a glacier monitoring system was already functioning in the low glacial ranges and providing useful data in this regard.