The Chairman said that Diamer Bhasha Dam with a gross water storage capacity of 8.1 million acre-feet (MAF) and power generation capacity of 4500 megawatt (MW) will go a long way in stabilizing the economy. The project will also prove to be instrumental in developing human resources and creating employment opportunities in the country. As many as 16,500 job opportunities of engineers and allied staff will be made available at the national and local levels, he further said.
Paying homage to the sacrifices being made by the locals for construction of Diamer Bhasha Dam Project, the Chairman said that a sum of Rs 78.5 billion was being spent for resettlement and confidence-building measures (CBMs) leading towards socio-economic development in the area.
He expressed satisfaction over the completion of as many as 44 development schemes for improving the existing water supply, irrigation, health, and education infrastructures. He said the construction of Chillas Cadet College under the CBMs was nearing completion which would help provide quality education to the local students. In addition, Thak Hydropower Project of 3MW is also about to be completed to meet the electricity requirements of the area. Earlier during the visit, Diamer Bhasha Dam General Manager Amir Bashir Chaudhry briefed the Chairman about various developments on the project.