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LAHORE: A Spokesperson of Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), while clarifying a news item titled ‘Basha Dam delayed till 2037’ published in The News (July 09), has strongly refuted the perception that the initiation of construction work on Dasu Hydropower Project will put the construction of Diamer Basha Dam Project at the backburner. He said that both projects are of vital importance in their own right and assuming them to be mutually exclusive is not correct.
Refuting the Correspondent’s assertion of Basha Dam being delayed till 2037 based on environmental and social assessment study, the Spokesperson said that said study is about sediment management wherein it has been concluded that there would be no adverse impact of the sediments on Dasu Hydropower Project even if Diamer Basha is not constructed till 2037. The Spokesman clarified that it should not be taken to mean that the Dam will be delayed by 17 years, adding that the environmental and social assessment study should have been read in correct perspective.
The Spokesperson clarified that keeping in view the multipurpose nature of Diamer Basha Dam Project; the government considers it a priority project. He said that the government’s seriousness for Diamer Basha Dam can be gauged from the fact that it allocated Rs17 billion in PSDPfor the Project during fiscal year 2013-14 and the same amount was released by January 2014.
The government, he said, also released an additional grant of Rs. 10 billion for the project in June 2014. He further said that the government has also earmarked Rs. 15 billion in the budget for FY 2014-15 to complete the land acquisition and resettlement-related infrastructure development.
The Spokesman, while referring to the Prime Minister’s statements, said that the Prime Minister had repeatedly said that his government is committed to construction of Diamer Basha Dam and Dasu Hydropower Project simultaneously to meet water and electricity requirements of the country. The government is not only in contact with friendly countries and International Financial Institutions (IFIs) but also exploring various innovative options for arrangement of funds for construction of Diamer Basha Dam, he added. He further said that a high-level meeting held under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on July 08 also discussed the different options regarding financial arrangements for Diamer Basha Dam.
He said that the Prime Minister is on record as having stated that the government would build Diamer Basha Dam out of its own resources if no foreign funding for the project was forthcoming. Following the Prime Minister’s categorical statement on Diamer Basha Dam being a priority project, all kinds of speculation and perception regarding alleged precedence of Dasu Hydropower Project on Diamer Basha Dam should come to an end, he stressed.
Justifying the rationale for construction of Dasu Hydropower Project, the Spokesperson said that the country has been facing acute electricity shortages in the country. He said that given the projected power and water needs, the government has decided to construct a number of hydropower projects and water reservoirs and Dasu Hydropower Project is one of them.
Dispelling perceptions created by ‘some experts’ regarding Dasu HPP, the Spokesperson said that the stage-1 of the Project will generate 2160 MW of low cost hydel electricity. He clarified that the plant factor of stage-1 is 65%, which is the highest among existing hydropower projects in the country, refuting the argument about Dasu HPP being peaking plant which has a plant factor of around 20-25%.
Refuting the Correspondent’s assertion of Basha Dam being delayed till 2037 based on environmental and social assessment study, the Spokesperson said that said study is about sediment management wherein it has been concluded that there would be no adverse impact of the sediments on Dasu Hydropower Project even if Diamer Basha is not constructed till 2037. The Spokesman clarified that it should not be taken to mean that the Dam will be delayed by 17 years, adding that the environmental and social assessment study should have been read in correct perspective.
The Spokesperson clarified that keeping in view the multipurpose nature of Diamer Basha Dam Project; the government considers it a priority project. He said that the government’s seriousness for Diamer Basha Dam can be gauged from the fact that it allocated Rs17 billion in PSDPfor the Project during fiscal year 2013-14 and the same amount was released by January 2014.
The government, he said, also released an additional grant of Rs. 10 billion for the project in June 2014. He further said that the government has also earmarked Rs. 15 billion in the budget for FY 2014-15 to complete the land acquisition and resettlement-related infrastructure development.
The Spokesman, while referring to the Prime Minister’s statements, said that the Prime Minister had repeatedly said that his government is committed to construction of Diamer Basha Dam and Dasu Hydropower Project simultaneously to meet water and electricity requirements of the country. The government is not only in contact with friendly countries and International Financial Institutions (IFIs) but also exploring various innovative options for arrangement of funds for construction of Diamer Basha Dam, he added. He further said that a high-level meeting held under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on July 08 also discussed the different options regarding financial arrangements for Diamer Basha Dam.
He said that the Prime Minister is on record as having stated that the government would build Diamer Basha Dam out of its own resources if no foreign funding for the project was forthcoming. Following the Prime Minister’s categorical statement on Diamer Basha Dam being a priority project, all kinds of speculation and perception regarding alleged precedence of Dasu Hydropower Project on Diamer Basha Dam should come to an end, he stressed.
Justifying the rationale for construction of Dasu Hydropower Project, the Spokesperson said that the country has been facing acute electricity shortages in the country. He said that given the projected power and water needs, the government has decided to construct a number of hydropower projects and water reservoirs and Dasu Hydropower Project is one of them.
Dispelling perceptions created by ‘some experts’ regarding Dasu HPP, the Spokesperson said that the stage-1 of the Project will generate 2160 MW of low cost hydel electricity. He clarified that the plant factor of stage-1 is 65%, which is the highest among existing hydropower projects in the country, refuting the argument about Dasu HPP being peaking plant which has a plant factor of around 20-25%.
