Asad Umar, Federal Minister for Planning and Development, announced that the construction of Diamer Bhasha Dam shall be completed by 2027. The Minister said that “We will be beginning works on 3 hydel projects this year,” he further added that Diamer Bhasha Dam, Mohmand Dam and Dasu Dam would improve the capacity of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) by 80%.
He said that people have been asking questions about the progress of Diamer Bhasha Dam and the Dam fund, in reply to which he said that up till now, almost Rs99 billion have been spent on the project, mainly for the acquisition of land. He said that Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) plans to award the contract for construction of the dam and its related structures in the coming weeks. He also gave a tentative deadline of the completion of the entire project as 2027-2028.
It is pertinent to mention here that the federal government planned to earmark Rs177.512 billion for dams and hydropower projects in the budget for next fiscal year as it aims to prioritize spending on water conservation projects in the country.
Earlier, regarding the Dam fund, Asad Umar said that the fund, amounting some Rs12 billion, has been kept under supervision of the Supreme Court. Therefore, the government aims to approach the Supreme Court to request the utilization of the money in Dam fund for efforts against the corona-virus.